Portret van een jonge vrouw met bril 1883 - 1910

This photographic portrait by Johannes Laurens Theodorus Huijsen shows a young woman with a striking pair of spectacles. The eyeglasses are more than a mere aid to vision; they are a cultural symbol, reminiscent of scholarly wisdom. We see the motif of eyeglasses carried through the ages, appearing in the visages of saints and philosophers, a subtle yet persistent symbol of enlightenment. Here, the choice to depict a young woman with spectacles transcends mere representation; it is a statement about her intellect, her place in society. As we look into the subject’s eyes through her glasses, consider how this symbol has evolved. Once confined to the elite, eyeglasses democratized knowledge, allowing more people to access the written word. Perhaps this is a reflection of the shifting socio-political landscape of the time, when access to education was expanding to a broader segment of society. It is through this lens that we begin to see the portrait not just as a depiction of an individual but as a carrier of cultural memory and the evolution of symbols.