Portret van een staande vrouw met hoed in de hand, met haar hand op een boek c. 1865

Palmer Descamps created this portrait of a standing woman with hat in hand, with her hand on a book, using the albumen print process. Looking at this portrait through the lens of its time, we see the complex layers of 19th-century Belgian society. The woman’s attire, the book, and the hat she delicately holds speak volumes about her social standing and the era's expectations. The book may symbolize intelligence and social awareness while she is also depicted in domestic finery. The pose is conventional, yet the woman's gaze seems to engage us directly, hinting at untold stories and personal identity beyond the era's constraints. Descamps captures not just a likeness, but a sense of self, a woman positioned within a changing world, subtly challenging traditional roles through quiet, confident presence. This image encapsulates the restrained yet palpable tension between societal expectations and personal aspirations, leaving us to ponder the untold narratives of women in that era.