Portret van een vrouw met oorbellen 1877 - 1910

B.J. Pottjewijd created this portrait of a woman with earrings without indication of the artwork’s date. It is a photograph, probably taken in the Netherlands, where Pottjewijd lived and worked. The image appears to be part of a series, perhaps from a family album. This institutional setting—the family—would have been its primary context. The woman's dress and jewelry suggest she is from the middle or upper class. The composition is simple, focusing on her face and upper body. Her gaze is direct and her expression neutral. These kinds of images were important in the Netherlands to convey social status. As art historians, we might look at the fashion of the time, and genealogical records of the family. The meaning of art changes over time depending on context, and this kind of research brings that to light.