Portret van een jong meisje 1860 - 1880

Augustus Ephraim Alden captured this young girl on a carte-de-visite, embedding her image within a frame of floral motifs and musical instruments, symbols of innocence and harmony. The lyre-like instrument adorning each corner carries echoes of ancient Greece, where music was inseparable from the muses and the cultivation of the soul. This emblem of classical ideals resurfaces throughout history, adorning Renaissance paintings and neoclassical sculptures, each time evoking a sense of order and refined beauty. Yet, the girl's somber gaze hints at the complex emotions beneath the surface, an echo of the inherent tension between youthful innocence and the weight of societal expectations. It's a poignant reminder that images, like dreams, are imbued with layers of personal and collective meaning.