Portret van Dietje Zijlema 1884 - 1896

Curator: There’s something haunting about this gelatin silver print. A sense of melancholy? Editor: This is “Portret van Dietje Zijlema” a photograph housed here at the Rijksmuseum. It was taken somewhere between 1884 and 1896 by Friedrich Julius von Kolkow. A little before my time. Curator: Her gaze…it feels so direct, almost confronting. It's interesting to see her presented with such an ordinary composure that's rare to see in painting, particularly from the era where she could have been idealised somewhat. Editor: The rise of photography certainly shifted the cultural landscape of portraiture. This wasn't some commissioned piece meant to convey status. It would be an interesting study to investigate what studio practices empowered a particular class, or gender to appear on the market. Here the photographer, the location and title "Hof Photograaf" or "Court Photographer" indicate that Kolkow held a certain authority in the process. Curator: Good point, yes, that little stamp is full of stories. Thinking about it now, you know what strikes me? It’s the quiet dignity in the everyday. The photographer has managed to capture something genuine, that quiet poise that could easily have been missed in a formal portrait. Editor: Exactly! The "cabinet card" format meant it could be mass-produced and distributed within her social network and the sitter's class, and this facilitated new social possibilities, new types of images. Curator: And that’s the fascinating tension, isn’t it? That balance between the personal and the performative that photographs have been toying with since their inception. Editor: I wonder how much she knew she would one day reside in a museum. Curator: Perhaps she did! Imagine the fun, her legacy extending over so many centuries. I now feel much better equipped to re-engage with what I previously called sadness. Thanks! Editor: My pleasure! I feel empowered now by Dietje's story. Let us find out where this gelatin-silver print will take us next!