Portret van een meisje met pop in de hand, staand bij een tafel met theeservies 1881 - 1903

This is Max Cosman’s small photograph of a girl with a doll standing by a table with a tea set. Born in the mid-19th century, Cosman was working in a world where photography was quickly evolving from a novel technology to a tool for capturing likeness and social status. While portraiture was typically reserved for adults of a certain class, the girl depicted here signifies changing attitudes towards childhood, and how children began to be regarded as individuals worthy of artistic attention. Note the details: the tea set, the doll, and the girl's clothing all speak to a performance of domesticity, and the ways in which gender roles were instilled from an early age. This image offers a glimpse into the construction of identity within the intimate space of the family, highlighting how childhood itself is shaped by cultural expectations and societal norms.