Portret van een onbekend meisje 1855 - 1885

J. Bte. Ducotte made this photograph of an unknown girl with an early photographic process. The portrait, like others from its time, is visually simple, but it raises interesting questions about childhood, social class, and the democratization of image-making in the 19th century. Looking closely, we can tell that the girl is likely from a middle-class family due to her clothing. While the sitter is unknown to us, the portrait would have been commissioned and carefully preserved. The rise of photography allowed a broader segment of society to participate in portraiture, an activity that had previously been reserved for the upper classes who could afford to commission painted portraits. Historical documents and studio records could help us understand the role of photography studios in constructing social identities. In this way, we come to understand not just the image, but its place in the rapidly changing social and cultural landscape of its time.