Portret van Elisabeth Hjortberg, verkleed als klein meisje 1870 - 1885

This small photograph, undated and by an unknown photographer, depicts Elisabeth Hjortberg in the guise of a young girl. This ‘dressing up’ raises questions about the cultural construction of childhood and femininity in the late 19th century, likely in the Netherlands. The image, with its theatrical backdrop, was probably produced in a commercial studio. These studios catered to a growing middle class eager to participate in visual culture and to represent themselves, or their children, in ways that conformed to social ideals. The choice to portray Elisabeth as a child could reflect anxieties around female agency, or a nostalgic desire to freeze her in a state of presumed innocence. Perhaps this was a private joke between Elisabeth and the photographer? To understand it fully, we’d need to delve into Dutch social history, examining family archives, fashion trends, and the rise of photography as a means of constructing social identity. This photograph then becomes more than just a portrait; it's a window into a complex network of cultural codes and power dynamics.