Portret van Jet Boelen als jong meisje c. 1890 - 1910

This is a portrait of Jet Boelen as a young girl by Koene & Büttinghausen, currently held in the Rijksmuseum. The subdued palette, primarily creams and browns, lends a delicate, almost ethereal quality to the image. The composition is formal, focusing on the subject's face and upper body, framed by a decorative border. The photograph’s construction and composition, are structured around a binary of interiority and exteriority, revealing a story of class and gender. The subject is adorned in lace and a high collar, signifying societal expectations of women's roles. Yet, the gaze is direct, seemingly confronting these expectations. The very act of framing – both in the literal border and the metaphorical framing of identity – suggests an exploration of the limitations and possibilities inherent in representation. What is included and excluded from the image invites a reflection on how portraits like this served to construct and reinforce social categories and power structures. The image operates in the realm of cultural codes that dictate how we understand the world around us.