Portret van een vrouw, staand bij een stoel 1860 - 1880

This is a small photographic portrait of a woman standing next to a chair, created by C. Schoenen. Though undated, the style of dress and photographic process suggest that it was made sometime in the mid-to-late nineteenth century. This was a period when photography was becoming more accessible, but it remained a technology largely used by and for the middle and upper classes. Consider how the woman's clothing and the studio setting communicate social status. The chair, the backdrop, and even the photographic process itself, are all visual cues that speak to the sitter's position in society. What might period sources, such as fashion plates or photographic journals, tell us about the sitter's social world and aspirations? How does this portrait participate in the social rituals of its time? Asking these kinds of questions can help us to better understand the social meanings of this photograph.