Portret van Johanna Geertruida Jonker 1873 - 1906

This is Max Büttinghausen’s portrait of Johanna Geertruida Jonker, a photograph made in Amsterdam during the late 19th century. This image gives us a glimpse into the rigid social structures that defined the lives of women like Johanna. The photograph captures Jonker's likeness, but it also reflects the limited roles and expectations placed upon women of her era. The formality of the portrait, the high-necked dress, and the restrained pose all speak to the constraints of bourgeois respectability and societal expectations of women. While the photograph presents a seemingly conventional image of a woman in 19th-century Amsterdam, it also invites us to consider the untold stories and hidden desires of its subject. What aspirations and dreams did Johanna harbor beyond the confines of her prescribed role? What challenges and triumphs did she experience as a woman navigating a patriarchal society? This portrait invites us to consider the complexities of identity and representation.