Portret van een vrouw bij een tafel 1867 - 1880

This photograph, titled 'Portret van een vrouw bij een tafel', comes to us from the studio of Moira & Haigh. In this portrait, the sitter’s body is almost completely engulfed by her enormous skirt, a convention of the time. With one hand resting on the table, her gaze rises to meet the viewer, but there's something guarded, almost melancholic in her expression. The framing accentuates the performative aspect of portraiture, while simultaneously capturing something of the sitter’s interiority. Consider the historical context: As photography democratized portraiture, images of women often reinforced societal expectations. Yet, within these constraints, there were also possibilities for agency and self-expression. How does this portrait both adhere to and subtly challenge those expectations, inviting us to reflect on the complexities of female identity in that time?