Portret van een meisje in een jurk met ceintuur op een stoel c. 1860 - 1896

This is a photograph by Kasparus Karsen, titled 'Portrait of a Girl in a Dress with Belt on a Chair'. Dating from the late 19th century, this image captures a specific, historical performance of girlhood. The girl’s elaborate dress and the formality of the pose speak to the conventions of middle-class portraiture, designed to project an image of respectability and status. And yet, her somewhat dour expression complicates this narrative. Is this the face of a child constrained by societal expectations? The cinched waist of the dress, while fashionable, also suggests a binding, a literal and symbolic restriction of her freedom. The photograph invites us to consider the ways in which children, particularly girls, were constructed and constrained by the social norms of the time. It is both a record and a question mark, prompting us to reflect on the historical construction of identity.