Studioportret van een vrouw bij een stoel c. 1863 - 1866

Albert Greiner made this portrait of a woman with albumen print around the mid-19th century in the Netherlands. This kind of photograph was originally intended for circulation among family members. Looking at the image today, we need to consider the rising middle classes and the culture of family and social life. We can appreciate the visual codes that indicate prosperity. Her dress, pose, and the chair she leans on, all speak to her position in society. Cartes-de-visite like this one became a popular token of friendship and family connection during a period of significant social and economic change. The professionalization of photography and its affordability meant that for the first time, families outside the aristocracy could participate in image-making. To understand this historical moment, research into the social history of photography, combined with archival records of the photographer and sitter, would bring us closer to the life of this image.