Vrouw op het strand, op de rug gezien before 1901

This photograph, 'Vrouw op het strand, op de rug gezien', was created by Hauptmann A. Böhmer around the turn of the 20th century. Böhmer was working in a time when photography was still finding its place amongst the traditional arts. The image depicts a woman, seen from behind, walking along a beach with a load on her back. It evokes a sense of solitude and perhaps hardship. During this period, representations of women were often idealized. However, Böhmer's choice to show this woman from behind, anonymous and burdened, provides an alternative narrative. The photograph hints at the social realities of women's labor. It invites us to reflect on the experiences of working-class women in a rapidly changing society. The picture is not just a landscape, but a social commentary, a quiet acknowledgment of the lives of ordinary people.