Portret van een onbekende jonge vrouw met bril 1890 - 1910

This portrait of an unknown young woman with glasses was made as a carte-de-visite by Maison Arnold in Paris. In the nineteenth century, photographic studios flourished as entrepreneurs found ways to create affordable portraits for the middle classes. This photograph is a cultural artifact which reflects the democratization of portraiture and the increased value of individuality and personal identity in the modern era. This portrait also raises interesting questions about gender and representation, as it was relatively unusual to see women wearing glasses in portraits at this time. We might ask whether this portrait challenges or reinforces existing social norms around female beauty and appearance. As an art historian, I might use sources such as studio ledgers, census records, and fashion magazines to find out more about the sitter and the photographer and try to place them in their historical context. The meaning of this image is contingent on the social and institutional conditions in which it was produced and viewed.