Portret van een meisje, leunend op een bidstoel 1867 - 1874

This is a photographic portrait by Pieter Vlaanderen, capturing a young girl leaning on what appears to be a prie-dieu, or prayer stool. This object, traditionally associated with religious devotion, immediately raises questions about the sitter's spiritual life and the values instilled in her. Consider the pose: rather than kneeling in prayer, she leans casually, almost nonchalantly, on the stool. It is a motif that echoes across centuries, from Renaissance depictions of saints to later secular uses of religious iconography. This juxtaposition suggests a negotiation between tradition and modernity. The prayer stool, once a symbol of humility and piety, here transforms into a prop, a marker of social status. The gesture conveys a sense of self-awareness, an emotional ambiguity which adds to its enigmatic allure. The stool is both a practical item and a representation of deeper cultural and emotional layers, and the girl’s casual lean against it hints at the evolving role of religion in the modern era.