Portret van een onbekende zittende vrouw 1880 - 1906

This portrait of an unknown woman was produced as a photograph in Amsterdam by Willem Gerhardus Kuijer in the late nineteenth century. The carte de visite format allowed for the mass production and distribution of images, contributing to a boom in portrait photography across Europe at this time. The image creates meaning through a number of visual codes. The sitter’s modest dress and hairstyle, together with her reserved posture, signal a certain social standing. During this period, the rise of the bourgeoisie in the Netherlands was transforming social norms. The Dutch Reformed Church’s influence, which emphasized sobriety, also impacted cultural values and artistic production. Family life and social class became central themes in art. Historical research on the sitter’s dress or the photographer’s studio might reveal much more. The value of art lies in its social and institutional context, which historians can reveal.