Portret van een onbekende vrouw uit de familie Marmelstein 1850 - 1900

This portrait of an unknown woman from the Marmelstein family was created by Cornelis Johannes Dirksen in the 19th century, using the then-new medium of photography. Early photography involved a complex interplay of chemistry and craft. The glass plate negatives would have demanded meticulous preparation. Coating, sensitizing, exposing, and developing these plates were laborious processes that required a high level of skill. Looking closely, you'll notice the sitter is holding a book. This, along with her dress and jewelry, speaks to the growing consumer culture of the time, and to her social status. The material choices – the fabric of her dress, the paper and binding of the book, the metal of her jewelry - all reflect the increasing availability of manufactured goods, and the skilled labor required to produce them. By considering the materials and processes involved, we can move beyond simply seeing a portrait, and begin to understand it as a document of a specific time and place, shaped by the forces of industrialization and social change.