Portret van een vrouw met parasol in de hand, zittend aan een tafel 1855 - 1870

This portrait of a woman holding a parasol was made by Johannes Hermanus van der Heijden using albumen silver print, a popular photographic process in the mid-19th century. Albumen printing involved coating paper with egg white and silver nitrate, then exposing it to light through a negative. This created a sharp image with fine details. The process required careful handling of chemicals and precise timing, reflecting a blend of scientific knowledge and artisanal skill. The resulting print is mounted on card stock, indicative of the rise of photography as a commercial enterprise. The clothing of the sitter also speaks to the industrialized production of textiles, while the photograph itself democratized portraiture, making it accessible to a broader segment of society. Considering the material and processes used in this photograph allows us to appreciate not only the aesthetic qualities of the artwork, but its intersection with broader histories of technology, labor, and class.