Portret van een vrouw met een baby op schoot, aangeduid als Nelly Merten 1880 - 1900

C. De Trez & Cie. created this portrait of a woman, thought to be Nelly Merten, holding a baby. These types of studio portraits were popular ways for families to commemorate milestones during a time of immense social change. What strikes me is the formal pose, so typical of the era, which simultaneously reveals and obscures. While appearing to offer a glimpse into domestic life, the image also presents a carefully constructed representation of motherhood. What does it mean to perform this role for the camera, for posterity? The woman's expression is hard to read. Is it tenderness, fatigue, or something in between? The setting seems artificially constructed, like a stage. The photograph offers an emotional and carefully constructed representation of identity, of family, of the self.