Portret van twee meisjes c. 1880 - 1910

H. de Graaf, a photographer working in Groningen, made this small portrait of two young women. Though we don't know when it was made, the clothes they wear offer a clue into the cultural norms of the time. They stand formally, surrounded by delicate dried plants, but it’s the way they are dressed which is really telling. Their high-necked, dark dresses leave little of their skin visible. While these were standard for women at the time, it is important to think about the significance of such modesty. Clothing was a signifier of moral standing and gender roles were very defined. There's an emotional tension between the societal expectations for women and the girls’ own developing identities. Perhaps the solemnness we sense in their expressions speaks to the burden of these expectations. The portrait captures not just an image, but a moment of transition, inviting us to consider the complexities of identity.