Portret van een kleuter, mogelijk Carl of Lucia Piek 1889 - 1893

This small photograph, possibly of Carl or Lucia Piek, was taken by Johanna Margaretha Piek in the Netherlands. The sepia tone suggests that it was made around the turn of the century, a time when photography was becoming more accessible. The child, draped in what appears to be a simple cloth, stands in an interior that seems both domestic and slightly staged. The wallpaper and furniture hint at a middle-class setting. Photography at this time still carried a certain weight and was used to portray a certain image of yourself. Perhaps the child’s somewhat unusual attire was an attempt to project an image of innocence and classical virtue. The photographer, Johanna Piek, was a female artist working in a period when women were gaining ground but still faced many limitations in the art world. Understanding the context in which Piek operated can be done by researching archives and studying the social history of the Netherlands at this time. This would help us to understand better the image she was trying to convey and what it meant in its time.