Portret van mevrouw Rerberg 1901 - 1908

Edward van Boghout made this photograph of Mevrouw Rerberg sometime in the late nineteenth century, likely in Belgium. In this period, photography became more accessible, but it was still a formal process. Portraits were carefully constructed to convey social status. Mevrouw Rerberg is dressed in a dark, elegant dress, which signals a certain level of affluence. Her posture and the presence of a book on the table beside her may suggest education and refinement, qualities valued in bourgeois society. The photographer’s name and address are prominently displayed, a common practice that served as both advertisement and authentication of the photographer's establishment. Understanding this image means situating it within the rapidly changing social landscape of late 19th-century Europe. Genealogical records, social registers, and local histories can help us discover more about the sitter and the artist, while photographic journals and business directories shed light on the commercial and artistic contexts of portrait photography at this time.