Portret van een onbekende vrouw aan een tafel 1874

This is a photograph, made by Le Grand & Büttinghausen, of an unknown woman sitting at a table. Photography in this era provided a novel means of picturing oneself. The woman's formal attire and the photographer's studio setting—complete with props like the table and painted backdrop—speak to the cultural importance of portraiture. While we don't know the sitter's name, her clothing gives us hints about her social position in the culture from which she came. The layered, ruffled skirt and delicate lace cap suggest a woman of some means, someone who could afford the time and expense of such a portrait. In scrutinizing details like these, we can begin to understand the visual codes of class and status operating in the nineteenth century. Careful research into fashion, photographic practices, and studio operations of the time would help us better understand the cultural forces that shaped this image and the woman within it.