Portret van een staande vrouw met mantel en hoed met linten 1880 - 1890

Joseph Maes made this small photograph of a standing woman, sometime in the late nineteenth century. In this era, photography studios proliferated, offering affordable portraiture to a growing middle class. This woman’s attire – the bonnet, the ribbons, the patterned shawl – speaks to the visual codes of her time. Her clothing indicates a certain level of social standing, reflective of the economic growth and shifting class structures of the period in Europe. The photograph itself, as a relatively new medium, democratized portraiture, making it accessible beyond the aristocratic elite. The very act of posing for a photograph was a social performance, influenced by prevailing notions of respectability and status. Further research into fashion trends, studio photography practices, and social history would reveal more about the sitter's identity, the photographer’s intentions, and the broader cultural meanings embedded within this modest image.