Jan Hofker en vrouw c. 1860 - 1915

Willem Witsen made this photograph of Jan Hofker and his wife using gelatin silver print. Photographs like these offer a valuable window into the social dynamics of the Netherlands at the turn of the 20th century. The subjects, formally posed and dressed in the fashion of the time, reflect the values of a society undergoing rapid industrialization and urbanization. In a time when social class and gender roles were strictly defined, such portraiture served not only as personal mementos but also as markers of status and respectability. The rise of photography coincided with the growth of a bourgeois class eager to emulate the customs of the aristocracy. As historians, we can draw on resources such as period newspapers, social surveys, and institutional records to shed light on the cultural norms and values that shaped the production and reception of images like this. The meaning of art and photography is always contingent on the specific social and institutional contexts.