Portret van een zittende vrouw met hoofddeksel 1860 - 1900

Julius Bethge made this small portrait of a seated woman, likely as part of an album, with photography, a relatively new medium. Notice the woman's elaborate head covering and dress, and the formal way she is posed. In the 19th century, photography studios sprung up in cities across Europe and North America, offering portraiture to a wider range of social classes than ever before. Before the popularization of photography, painted portraits were expensive status symbols available only to the wealthy. Photography democratized the portrait, but it also established new norms around the visual representation of people. The photograph is labeled "New Orleans" and "Dresden," suggesting the sitter may have traveled between these two cities, or wanted to present herself as worldly. Photographs like this offer historians a fascinating glimpse into the lives of ordinary people in the 19th century. By studying clothing, hairstyles, and studio backdrops, we can learn more about the social and cultural values of the time.