Portret van een jonge vrouw 1857 - 1894

This is an albumen print, by P. Siewers & Zoon, titled "Portret van een jonge vrouw", or "Portrait of a young woman". The photograph presents a study in the social dynamics of representation, particularly the formal conventions of portraiture adopted by the burgeoning middle classes. Likely produced in the Netherlands, the piece reveals the sitter's role within a complex web of social codes. The photograph, itself a relatively new medium, provided a way to capture and communicate social standing. It reflects the democratizing impulses of the time, allowing individuals outside the traditional elite to partake in a culture of representation previously reserved for the aristocracy. To better understand the piece, one might turn to sources from the period; from conduct manuals dictating social behavior, to publications detailing the latest fashions. By exploring the institutional context of photographic production, we recognize that this portrait is far more than a simple likeness, it is a carefully constructed performance of social identity.