Portret van Julie Clémentine Catherine Jouassain in de rol van Belise in Les Femmes Savantes before 1880

This photograph depicts Julie Clémentine Catherine Jouassain in costume as Belise from Molière's play "Les Femmes Savantes". Though the artist is unknown, the image provides a window into 19th-century French theater and society. Julie Jouassain's portrayal of Belise offers a lens through which to examine the era’s complex relationship with women, performance, and intellectualism. "Les Femmes Savantes" satirizes intellectual pretension among women, and here Jouassain embodies this character. The photograph encapsulates a moment where gender, class, and culture intersect on the stage and in the studio. Consider what it meant for a woman to perform a role that mocked female intellectual pursuits. Jouassain’s costume, while elaborate, is part of a narrative that both showcases and scrutinizes women's roles in society. The image prompts us to reflect on how women negotiate identity, perception, and expectation.