Portret van een jonge vrouw 1891 - 1901

Cornelis Halbertsma captured this small portrait of a young woman with photography, a medium gaining popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This era was marked by shifting roles for women. The woman in the photograph, with her poised demeanor, hints at both the constraints and emerging possibilities for women of the time. The image exists within a tradition of portraiture, yet photography democratized the genre. It allowed for a wider range of individuals, not just the wealthy elite, to have their likeness preserved. Halbertsma, through his lens, offers a glimpse into the life of a woman navigating the complexities of her time. We can only imagine the story behind her gaze, the aspirations she held, and the challenges she faced. What does it mean to memorialize the everyday person? How does this contrast with traditional portraits of nobility?