Portret van een oude vrouw met muts 1857 - 1864

Editor: This is an interesting find! A portrait from between 1857 and 1864, housed here at the Rijksmuseum. They call it "Portret van een oude vrouw met muts" and lists Wegner & Mottu as the creators, using photography. What do you make of it? It's rather austere, but that headdress... Curator: Ah yes, I've always been drawn to her resolute gaze, a hint of melancholic defiance perhaps? The realism is striking; those meticulous details – the fabric's texture, the subtle floral adornments—almost feel like captured memories. Tell me, what whispers does this woman's image evoke in you? Does she remind you of anyone, maybe a distant relative from faded photographs? Editor: I suppose a little...the lace at the wrists especially feels somehow intimate. How would a photography like this have functioned in the world then? Curator: Indeed, in an era where painting held sway in portraiture, photography emerged as a disruptive force. Democratization! For the burgeoning middle class, this photographic plate offered an accessible avenue to immortalize themselves, mirroring the aristocratic tradition, and a tangible keepsake for posterity. But more than just capturing appearances, what stories do you think people aimed to tell through such formal poses and meticulously chosen garments? What narratives were they carefully crafting? Editor: Maybe it was about conveying respectability? Or marking their place in the world...like announcing, 'I was here.' Curator: Exactly! A fascinating interplay between aspiration and legacy. In a way, it's timeless. We are doing similar work on Instagram. Now, when you look at her expression, that quiet intensity…does it shift your perspective at all? Editor: It does... it’s almost like she's seeing beyond the camera. I hadn’t noticed it at first, but her eyes change everything. Curator: They always do, don’t they? Photography makes us see! Editor: Well, this has really given me a new appreciation for photography, and portraiture. It isn't just capturing an image!