Portret van een onbekende vrouw met een meisje op schoot c. 1865 - 1900

Laurens Lodewijk Kleijn captured this image of an unknown woman and child in the late 19th century, a period marked by significant shifts in social roles and the burgeoning field of photography. The photograph presents a tender, yet formally posed portrait of a woman holding a young girl. What does it mean to not know their names, to not know their story? There is an emotional weight in the attempt to connect with these anonymous figures. During this era, women were often relegated to the domestic sphere, their identities closely tied to their roles as mothers and wives. The act of photographing women and children became a way to codify and celebrate these roles, while also subtly reinforcing societal expectations. Here we can see the woman's clothing and simple hairstyle which speaks to the modest expectations of women during this period. Yet, in her gaze, there’s a complexity that defies simple categorization. It is as if we can feel the burden and responsibility of motherhood in this captured moment. This image becomes a meditation on memory, identity, and the untold stories of women in history, asking us to consider the individuals behind the roles they were assigned.