Portret van een vrouw bij een bureau 1865 - 1880

Gerarda Henriëtte Matthijssen created this photograph of a woman at a desk in the Netherlands, but we don't know exactly when. The woman's formal attire, the desk, and the overall composition speak to the sitter’s social standing and perhaps her aspirations. In the 19th century, the rise of photography coincided with shifting social norms and the ascendance of the bourgeoisie. Portraiture became more accessible. But how did the subject wish to be seen? How did the photographer, a woman working in a male-dominated field, influence that image? Was it an attempt to challenge or reinforce gender roles in the Netherlands? These are the kinds of questions social historians ask when interpreting art. Archival records, biographical information, and studies of material culture all help us to understand not only the image, but the complex web of social relations in which it was created and viewed.