Portret van een jonge vrouw, staand bij een stoel 1873 - 1900

Arno Kersten made this photograph titled 'Portret van een jonge vrouw, staand bij een stoel' in 1873. This studio portrait, likely taken in Vienna, presents us with a carefully constructed image of feminine respectability during the late 19th century. The woman’s dark, high-necked dress and modest pose, convey a sense of middle-class virtue. Note how the composition directs our gaze, framing the woman’s face and dress. This was a period of rising prosperity for the middle classes. Photography studios became cultural institutions, offering the chance to capture and display one's social standing through portraiture. This image, in its design and execution, reinforces the social norms of its time, presenting a vision of womanhood rooted in restraint and decorum. To fully appreciate this work, we might delve into photographic archives, conduct historical research into Viennese social customs, and examine fashion history. These investigations would reveal much about the social and cultural values that shaped both the sitter’s identity and the photographer's artistic choices.