Portret van een vrouw met witte klederdrachtmuts en halsketting c. 1874

This is a portrait of a woman with a white bonnet and necklace, made by the IJpma Brothers. Photography, like other reproductive technologies, democratized image-making, and thus portraiture. It was no longer a privilege of the wealthy to have their likeness recorded. While we do not know the sitter in this instance, we can assume that she had the means to commission such an image. The level of detail captured would have been considered astonishing at the time. Notice the lace trim on her dress, and the simple elegance of her jewelry. These elements of dress, combined with the photographic process, offer us a glimpse into the material culture of the era. By considering photography as a process and a technology, alongside more traditional arts, we can gain a richer understanding of its cultural significance, and the changing landscape of image-making in the modern era.