Portret van een jonge vrouw c. 1874

This portrait of a young woman was created by the IJpma Brothers with a height of 82 mm and a width of 51 mm. The portrait encapsulates the rigid social expectations placed on women and the constraints of class during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. We are given a glimpse into the life of an anonymous young woman who presents herself in a way that conforms to the standards of the time. Her gaze is direct, but restrained, reflecting the limited agency women had in controlling their own image and destiny. The photograph may have been intended to present her eligibility for marriage, underscoring the economic and social dimensions of marriage during this period. Despite the conventions, there is a certain dignity in her posture, a quiet assertion of self. The image serves as a poignant reminder of the complex negotiation between personal identity and social expectation.