Portret van een jonge vrouw met medaillon 1879 - 1900

Editor: This is "Portret van een jonge vrouw met medaillon," made between 1879 and 1900, attributed to Friedrich Julius von Kolkow. It’s a photograph in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The portrait is very straightforward, almost austere. What can you tell me about its context? Curator: Well, the rise of photography in the late 19th century dramatically changed portraiture. It democratized image-making, moving it away from the exclusive realm of painting. Think about what it meant for a wider range of social classes to have access to creating and controlling their own image, beyond what a painter or the social conventions dictated. What do you notice about the way she’s presented? Editor: She looks quite plain, even for the time, perhaps. Her gaze is direct, but there isn't a sense of posed artifice, even with the framing of the oval mat. Does that affect how we read her? Curator: Absolutely. It challenges the idealised portrayal common in painted portraits of the era. This shift reflects changing societal values, especially ideas around middle-class representation. Do you see it as a simple, straightforward representation, or do you see any deliberate choices at play? How is her identity constructed? Editor: Now that you point it out, the medallion certainly draws the eye, creating a sense of the individual while also marking this woman's social identity in a quiet, understated manner. And her direct gaze… she seems aware, and in control. Curator: Exactly. The medallion hints at a social role, perhaps linked to service, or an association. And her gaze is level; what did the democratisation of art mean to the woman presented here and women across Dutch society? Editor: That's a completely different way of approaching it than just looking at it as an individual portrait. Curator: Photography created the conditions for all strata of society to develop as viewers and as active agents and changed the dialogue with social customs and conventions. Thanks, this has also reshaped how I look at these formal qualities and social shifts as it is always evolving and I learn so much when engaging with others and thinking on our feet!