Portret van C. Scholte met Tootje Roos als baby 1887 - 1906

This photograph by Max Büttinghausen captures C. Scholte holding Tootje Roos as a baby. The studio portrait, common in the late 19th century, reveals the sitter’s social status as much as their likeness. What do we see when we consider this mother and child through a feminist lens? The conventions of Victorian motherhood are present: tenderly holding her child, Scholte embodies the era’s ideal of maternal love and care. Yet, we might also see a woman navigating the constraints placed upon her. Her gaze is direct and poised, yet her body language seems somewhat reserved. The very act of commissioning this photograph, of carefully curating an image for posterity, speaks to the complex interplay of societal expectations and personal agency. The image becomes a poignant record of the evolving roles of women and the enduring bond between mother and child.