Portret van Erin Corr 1841 - 1842

This is a small, anonymous portrait of Erin Corr, an etching on paper. In the 19th century, portraiture became increasingly democratized, moving beyond the exclusive domain of the elite. Etchings like this made images more accessible. The sitter's clothing—his jacket and bow tie—signal a certain level of bourgeois respectability. However, without knowing more about the context in which this portrait was made and circulated, its social meaning remains somewhat obscure. Was it a private memento, or intended for broader circulation? The lack of information about the artist and sitter underscores how much of our understanding of art depends on historical context. Art historians rely on archival research, institutional records, and social histories to interpret images like this. Understanding the social conditions of artistic production is crucial to understanding the public role of art and the politics of imagery.