Portret van een vrouw 1886 - 1901

This is a small portrait of a woman by Johannes Gesterkamp Jr., made sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. It’s a photograph, a process that by this period had become relatively widespread. What’s interesting is how this image, though mechanically produced, still retains the aura of an earlier era of portraiture. Consider the rather formal pose, the somewhat stilted presentation, and the elaborate paper frame surrounding the image. These all contribute to the sense of photographic portraiture attempting to assert itself as an art form, on par with painting or sculpture. The photograph is small, and would have been relatively inexpensive to produce, yet it commemorates a very particular person and moment. It’s an intimate image, yet also one that participates in the broader sweep of social history. Looking at it, we can see how photography democratized image-making, while at the same time, trying to keep up appearances.