Vrouw in klederdracht met een vlag, vermoedelijk een personificatie van Nederland 1879

This photograph, made by Sophus Williams, depicts a woman in traditional Dutch clothing holding the national flag. Taken during a time of burgeoning national identity, the photograph participates in the construction of Dutch identity and pride. The woman's clothing, while traditional, is carefully arranged to evoke a sense of idealized womanhood. She stands confidently, hand on her hip, embodying a spirit of national pride and strength. But what does it mean to represent a nation as a woman? This image participates in the tradition of gendering nations as feminine, as figures of virtue, beauty, and motherhood. Consider the complex interplay of gender and national identity in this image. The woman embodies an idealized version of Dutch identity, a figure onto whom national aspirations and values are projected. What stories does this image tell, and whose stories remain untold?