Portret van een onbekende vrouw c. 1892 - 1906

Machiel Hendricus Laddé, a Dutch photographer, created this cabinet card portrait of an unknown woman, printed on albumen paper. Laddé, who lived from 1866 to 1932, worked during a time when photography was becoming increasingly accessible to the middle class. While this portrait maintains the traditional, formal style of 19th-century portraiture, its subject resists easy categorization. The sitter's androgynous appearance challenges conventional gender norms. The subdued clothing and direct gaze suggest a personality that transcends the era’s restrictive expectations for women. This image captures a moment of quiet defiance. It asks us to consider the untold stories of individuals who lived outside the lines of societal expectations, inviting us to reflect on the complexities of identity and representation.