Portret van een vrouw met oorbellen 1860 - 1900

Editor: Here we have "Portret van een vrouw met oorbellen" – that's "Portrait of a Woman with Earrings"– made sometime between 1860 and 1900 by the Gebroeders Sanders, or the Sanders Brothers. It's an albumen print, so a photograph. It has this faded quality and feels very formal, almost stoic. As a historian, what do you see here? Curator: Well, first I consider the context. This photograph exists within a very specific set of social expectations. During the mid-to-late 19th century, photography studios blossomed. The aspiring middle classes, who often lacked the means to commission painted portraits, embraced photography as a means of memorialization and social affirmation. Do you notice the woman's attire and pose? Editor: I do! The high-necked dress and relatively stiff posture feel… constrained. Curator: Exactly. It's a carefully constructed image, designed to project a certain social standing. The very act of sitting for a portrait, particularly in such a new and relatively expensive medium like photography, implies a certain level of self-awareness and an investment in how one is perceived by society. And look closely – the slight softening, that artistic 'blur,' suggests an attempt to elevate photography to the status of fine art. Do you think the portrait achieves that? Editor: It’s interesting; the softening makes her feel more universal and maybe less like a specific person, so it makes sense from an artistic aspiration, or marketing for portrait services. I initially saw 'stoic,' but now I recognize an element of performance and social maneuvering embedded in it. Curator: Precisely! This work reminds us that art and imagery always exist within and are shaped by a socio-political framework, which then informs our perspective.