Portret van een meisje 1874 - 1900

This portrait of a girl was made with photography by Wilhelm Höffert sometime in the late 19th century in Germany. Photography as a medium played an interesting role at this time because the professional photographer took on an important social function. Looking at this image, we can see how the sitter is dressed in a respectable plaid dress with a decorative brooch. The girl's hair is neatly pulled back. This is a young woman of the era, presented for the camera in a respectful and reserved fashion. The composition is one of the conventions of bourgeois portraiture, where respectability and social standing were paramount. Photography studios popped up everywhere, signifying the importance of image and representation, but also the cultural shifts within the middle class. To better understand this image, one could look into the archives of photography studios in Germany, and study fashion plates and etiquette guides for young ladies. Art is always contingent on the social and institutional context in which it is produced.