Portret van een vrouw 1892 - 1906

Editor: Here we have Machiel Hendricus Laddé’s "Portrait of a Woman", a photograph dating from around 1892 to 1906, held at the Rijksmuseum. It strikes me as a fairly standard, formal portrait of the time. How would you interpret it from a historical point of view? Curator: It’s interesting that you call it standard. The photographic portrait became increasingly accessible to the middle classes at this time. Therefore, portraits became less about representing social status, and more about constructing identity. Do you see anything in the image that might suggest how the sitter wished to be seen? Editor: Well, the subject has rather elaborate clothing – lace collar, decorative blouse – suggesting some level of affluence. Is that a fair reading? Curator: Affluence, perhaps, but also a desire to participate in contemporary fashion. Consider the social role of photography at the time. Studios flourished as spaces where individuals could perform a specific social role, meticulously curated and captured for posterity. What does that suggest to you? Editor: So, beyond just capturing likeness, this photo studio served as a social stage for self-presentation. She’s using the portrait to participate in and display adherence to contemporary social standards. It's not simply about wealth, but about belonging, fitting into the ideals dictated by society at the time. Curator: Precisely. These seemingly simple portraits are imbued with societal aspirations, constructed identities performing within cultural expectations. Editor: That gives me a new appreciation for these old photographs; they're more active and communicative than I initially assumed. Curator: And considering Laddé’s choices as the photographer in how to frame this aspiration really deepens the story being told.