Portret van een vrouw 1876 - 1900

This is a portrait of a woman, made by Friedrich Julius von Kolkow using photographic processes. Photography in this era involved a complex interplay of chemistry and light. The image, captured on a treated plate, wasn't simply "taken"; it was coaxed into existence through careful manipulation of materials. The tonal range, the very texture of the image, speaks to the hand of the photographer. The final print on paper, mounted onto card stock, was a material object produced within a burgeoning industrial context. The woman's clothing offers clues about the wider world of labour and production. The striped fabric of her dress was a product of industrial looms, and the overall construction indicates the rise of standardized garment making. Even in a seemingly straightforward portrait, we see the echoes of mass production and consumption shaping everyday life.