Carte-de-visite met drie dienstboden after 1882

This photograph, by Louis Oskar Grienwaldt, captures three domestic servants in what was likely a staged scene. The image speaks volumes about social class and representation in the Netherlands, a country undergoing significant transformation during the rise of industrial capitalism. The photograph's visual codes reflect the hierarchical structure of domestic service. The women's clothing, their posed arrangement, and even the props like the bowl and pitcher, create a narrative of labor and servitude. The burgeoning middle class was fascinated by images of working-class people, but these images were often carefully curated to reinforce existing social norms. Photography studios, like the one Grienwaldt operated, played a role in shaping these perceptions. This raises important questions about the power dynamics inherent in image-making. Understanding the socio-economic context, researching photographic archives, and studying the history of domestic labor can illuminate the complex relationship between art and society in this photograph. Art is contingent on social and institutional context.