Portret van een vrouw, staand bij een balustrade 1860 - 1890

This captivating portrait was made by Juan B. Royer, though its exact date is unknown. What we see is a woman standing by a balustrade, her gaze direct, almost challenging. Consider the social position of women during the time this photograph was likely taken; their roles were often confined by societal expectations. Here, though, the woman asserts a quiet strength. Her off-the-shoulder dress, while fashionable, hints at a subtle rebellion against the strictures of the time. The cross she wears might suggest piety, yet it also speaks to a deeper personal identity, a claim of selfhood beyond the domestic sphere. Royer captures not just a likeness, but a presence. This image quietly asks us to consider the complexities of womanhood during an era of enormous social change. It is a question of how women saw themselves, and how they wanted to be seen.