Portret van een onbekende vrouw 1734 - 1785

This is Jan Stolker's "Portrait of an Unknown Woman," an etching now held at the Rijksmuseum, made sometime in the 18th century. Stolker was working during a time when the Dutch Republic was undergoing significant social and political changes. In this period, portraiture was a powerful tool for constructing identity and communicating social status. Here, the woman's elaborate hairstyle and elegant dress signify a certain level of wealth and refinement, but her direct gaze and slight smile suggest a sense of self-possession, challenging the demure stereotypes often associated with women in portraiture. Stolker's etching captures not just an image, but a sense of the sitter's character. What might it have meant for a woman to present herself in this way during a time when gender roles were so strictly defined? This portrait leaves us pondering the untold stories and individual agency within the confines of 18th-century Dutch society.