Portret van een vrouw 1881 - 1901

The Cordes Brothers created this portrait of a woman, now held in the Rijksmuseum, using an early photographic process. In the nineteenth century, as photography became more accessible, portraiture shifted from the realm of the wealthy to a broader middle class. This image captures a sitter who appears to be a woman of means, but not necessarily of the highest social class, which perhaps reflects the changing demographics of portraiture at this time. She is fashionably dressed, with ruffled details at her shoulders and wrists. The woman's gaze is direct, but her posture is somewhat stiff, one hand gently touching her neck as if to bring herself to attention. There's an interesting dynamic here: on one hand, she appears assertive, presenting herself to the viewer. On the other hand, her demure posture speaks to the social constraints placed on women at the time. The portrait, therefore, captures a moment of self-expression tempered by societal expectations.