Portret van een onbekende vrouw c. 1861 - 1890

This photographic print of an unknown woman was created by Albert Greiner in Amsterdam, sometime in the late nineteenth century. Photography at this time was becoming increasingly accessible, and small portraits like this were collected and displayed as symbols of middle-class status. Yet photography was also changing how people saw themselves. The woman in this portrait has a knowing look, and she seems aware of the power that comes with controlling her own image. Photography studios like Greiner's were sites where these new understandings of selfhood were developed. If we want to know more about this image, we might explore the histories of photography in the Netherlands, as well as the growth of Amsterdam as a center of commerce and trade. By understanding its social and institutional context, we can see how this image reflects a changing world.