Portret van een onbekende vrouw in Scheveningse klederdracht c. 1885 - 1900

This photograph of an unknown woman in Scheveningen costume was made by Carl Philip Wollrabe. As a photographic print, the artwork is a combination of chemical processes and mechanical reproduction. What's interesting is the way the woman is framed by the props; her hands, the basket, the heavy fabric of her dress, and of course her wooden shoes. Wollrabe emphasizes the material aspects of her world, so closely tied to her identity. The dress has a weight to it; we can see the marks of use and the way it protects her from the elements. The basket suggests her occupation, perhaps gathering fish or produce from the fields, which is mirrored in her wooden shoes. Photography at this time was becoming more accessible to a wider public, but images like this one also show the way that it could be used to document and even romanticize a way of life and labor that was quickly disappearing. These objects and garments act as a portrait of a culture, far removed from the realm of fine art.