Portret van een vrouw 1884 - 1913

Editor: So, this is Adolphe Zimmermans' "Portret van een vrouw," an albumen print sometime between 1884 and 1913. It's a lovely portrait, quite formal, and she seems... serious. What's your read on it? Curator: This photograph is fascinating, not just as an image of an individual but as a historical artifact. Consider how the sitter chooses to present herself, or rather, how she is presented. Albumen prints like this were often commissioned for specific social purposes – think family albums demonstrating status, memorial keepsakes, or even promotional materials. Does this context change how you view the “seriousness”? Editor: I guess it does. It’s not just a candid snapshot, it's a performance of sorts. Like building a social record or trying to build legacy for family's descendants? Curator: Precisely. The act of sitting for a formal portrait was a deliberate statement. Think about who had access to photography at this time – it wasn't universal. Who was being left out of that social recording, and what stories weren’t being told or saved in museums like Rijksmuseum. Consider what power structures might be in play that we're not seeing on the surface. Editor: It's easy to just look at her face, but I hadn't thought about the statement being made just by her being there at all, by access. I keep thinking she chose that dress... Curator: Yes, access is essential here. We cannot remove from view the political dynamics inherent to image making practices and how museums, like the Rijksmuseum, play a part in those politics. Editor: Wow. Okay, I see it so differently now. I really only thought about the "art" of the image but not how it connects to our perception. Thank you!