Portret van een onbekende vrouw before 1900

This photogravure of "Mrs. Wilson, Wife of the Bishop of Melbourne" was published by the Brett Printing and Publishing Co. in Auckland, New Zealand. Looking at this image, what can it tell us about the role of women in colonial society? Notice how the trappings of bourgeois life - her dress and adornments - are prominently displayed. The choice to emphasize these attributes and the title, "Wife of the Bishop," serve to define her by her relationship to a man. The absence of a date for this image makes it difficult to place in time. However, the use of photography and photogravure point to a moment in the late 19th or early 20th century. As historians of art, we can see how images like this one can be used to tell us about the social conditions that shaped artistic production and the social structures of its time. We might consult archives, newspapers, and other publications to better understand the role of the church in colonial society.