Portret van Johanna Geertruida Jonker 1861 - 1887

Albert Greiner captured this photographic portrait of Johanna Geertruida Jonker sometime in the mid-19th century. The small size and intimate framing suggest it was likely made for a private album. During this era in the Netherlands, photography was rapidly evolving from a niche practice to a more accessible form of portraiture. The rise of the middle class fueled a demand for images that could capture and preserve family likenesses. Photographers like Greiner, with studios in urban centers, catered to this desire. The careful posing and simple dress speak to the values of propriety and respectability upheld by bourgeois society. The existence of such portraits reminds us that photography was not just about capturing reality, but also about constructing social identities and commemorating individual lives within a specific historical context. Further research into Dutch social history and photographic archives will give us a deeper understanding of this image.