Portret van een zittend kind in witte jurk 1870 - 1900

This is Axel Rydin’s small photograph of a seated child in a white dress. Rydin was a Swedish photographer active in the late 19th and early 20th century, a period defined by strict social codes. Portraits like this one were more than mere family keepsakes; they were carefully crafted statements about identity and status. Here, the child's crisp white dress, places this child firmly in the middle class. During this period, the representation of children was often sentimental, emphasizing innocence and purity. Yet, there is a striking contrast here between the formal setting and the child’s bare feet, and direct gaze. What might this gesture suggest about childhood, class, and social expectations at the time? What does this image reveal about the boundaries between public presentation and private realities?