Studioportret van een oudere dame met op haar hoofd een voile c. 1863 - 1870

Curator: Oh, what a striking image. It's a studio portrait of an older woman, complete with a voile atop her head. The photograph, made somewhere between 1863 and 1870, comes to us from Wegner & Mottu, currently held in the Rijksmuseum. Editor: She exudes a quiet dignity, doesn’t she? A stoic presence in a sepia dream. It reminds me of long lost family photographs you'd find tucked away in antique shops. Curator: Exactly! The striped dress with a lace collar hints at a certain formality, softened, perhaps, by the delicate flowers adorning the voile. And those ringlets... I can almost feel the rigidity of the Victorian era. Editor: The framing is intriguing; I'm fascinated by how such photographs reflect not just individual likeness but the social constraints of the time. What would it have meant to be a woman in that era choosing how to portray oneself, or rather, agreeing to a portrayal in this very public manner? The flowers feel somewhat performative, maybe subtly rebellious, nestled on her head like that. Curator: I wonder about the story behind those eyes, too. There’s a gentle strength there. She isn't smiling in the way we might expect today, but her gaze feels direct, almost challenging. And of course the aesthetics point towards a certain sense of ideal beauty back then... Editor: Precisely. A kind of beauty manufactured by societal norms, and yet she manages to imbue it with an individuality. The image speaks volumes about control and power in portraiture of the time, and maybe she knew that when agreeing to this shot. I always see photography from this era through the lens of gender and societal expectations, what was included and omitted. Curator: Well, there is an inescapable feeling of distance in this portrait, in this photograph and its representation. She's here, but far away at the same time. I love that sense of intrigue, though, don’t you think? Editor: Definitely! It really sparks the imagination. These old photographs aren't just relics of the past, they are active prompts, demanding that we question and consider all the power dynamics in play within these silent moments.