Portret van een meisje, aan tafel zittend 1911 - 1914

Editor: Here we have a gelatin silver print from between 1911 and 1914, "Portret van een meisje, aan tafel zittend" by Atelier Prinses. It's a very formal portrait of a young girl. What stories do you think it tells? Curator: This photograph invites us to consider the performative nature of childhood itself. It's more than just a portrait; it’s a carefully constructed image reflecting the social expectations placed upon young girls at the turn of the century. How does the child’s attire, posture, and setting speak to prevailing gender roles? Editor: I see what you mean. Her dress and tightly laced boots seem like a uniform almost. She isn’t running around and playing. Curator: Exactly. Consider also the emerging middle class and their aspirations, especially around ideals of respectability and domesticity. These portraits weren’t merely aesthetic exercises; they served as powerful visual statements of social positioning. We can think of them as propaganda—the creation of an idealised existence. What does her direct gaze convey, do you think? Is it defiance or mere compliance? Editor: Hmm. Maybe a bit of both? She is looking right at us, but doesn’t seem happy about it. This makes me think about the children whose stories we don't hear and the kind of oppression some might have been subjected to at that age. Curator: Precisely! Thinking about who gets to be seen and how is paramount. Photographs like these can be historical documents, but also critical reflections on power and representation. Editor: I’ll definitely look at similar portraits in a new way after our conversation. Curator: As will I! Each look unearths hidden, complex perspectives.