Portret van H.A.W.A. de Bruine, 13 jaar oud 1863 - 1889

Albert Lüssow captured this portrait of H.A.W.A. de Bruine, a 13-year-old girl, in an undated photograph. In this image, we see a young girl on the cusp of womanhood, her attire reflecting the societal expectations placed upon her gender and class. Her formal dress and carefully styled hair speak to the conventions of bourgeois portraiture, designed to project respectability and status. But there’s a tension here, isn't there? The girl's youthfulness contrasts with the formality of the setting, creating a sense of unease. Her gaze, direct yet vulnerable, hints at the complexities of identity formation during adolescence, caught between childhood innocence and the constraints of societal expectations. This portrait invites us to reflect on the ways in which photography can both capture and construct identity, especially for young women navigating the pressures of their time.