Portret van een vrouw, aangeduid als Mme. Gueka 1865 - 1885

This portrait of a woman, identified as Mme. Gueka, was created by Victor Motte using an unknown photographic process, during a time when photography was still a relatively new medium. Mme. Gueka's attire and deportment speak to the conventions of 19th-century European bourgeois identity. Her striped dress, cinched at the waist, and the carefully arranged hair reflect the era’s emphasis on propriety and elegance. The presence of what looks like a floral arrangement suggests a cultivated domesticity, a common trope in portraits of women during this period. Yet, the absence of more specific context—who was Mme. Gueka, and what was her story—invites us to consider the limitations of portraiture as a means of knowing someone. Portraits like this often served to solidify social status. But they also allow us to reflect on the untold narratives of individuals whose lives may otherwise remain hidden from history.