Portret van een baby 1870 - 1900

Sev. Schoy created this small portrait of a baby, using photography, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. In the Victorian era, and well into the early 20th century, childhood was increasingly sentimentalized. Photography played a key role in capturing and idealizing youth. Here, the baby is posed on a fur rug, draped in white fabric, and adorned with a necklace, evoking a sense of innocence and purity, yet also marking this infant with an almost adult sense of ornamentation. The image provides a glimpse into the cultural values and social expectations placed on children, reflecting the intersections of innocence, identity and class. This representation contrasts with the realities of child labor and high infant mortality rates of the time. This photograph serves as both a tender portrayal of new life and a reminder of the complex historical context that shaped perceptions of childhood.