Portret van een meisje 1865 - 1900

This portrait of a girl was created by Wegner & Mottu, using photography. Photography in this era served as a powerful tool for shaping social identities. In the Netherlands, as elsewhere, portraiture became increasingly accessible to the middle classes, reflecting a broader democratization of representation. The clean, formal composition, reminiscent of painted portraits, speaks to the desire to emulate the visual codes of the established elite. But it’s important to remember that studios like Wegner & Mottu were businesses operating within a specific economic context. Their success depended on catering to the aspirations of their clientele, while also navigating the technical and aesthetic conventions of the time. To fully understand this image, we would need to delve deeper into the archives, examining studio records, contemporary publications, and other historical materials. Only then can we truly appreciate the complex interplay of art, commerce, and social identity at play here.