Portret van een onbekende vrouw met boek in klederdracht van Vlaardingen, Zuid-Holland 1860 - 1890

Editor: Here we have an albumen print from somewhere between 1860 and 1890, "Portret van een onbekende vrouw met boek in klederdracht van Vlaardingen, Zuid-Holland," or, "Portrait of an unknown woman with book in traditional dress from Vlaardingen, South Holland," created by Andries Jager and housed at the Rijksmuseum. What I notice immediately is this striking woman and her piercing stare, yet she seems trapped in time. How does this portrait speak to you? Curator: Trapped in time... I love that! I feel that poignancy, too. Look at the details meticulously rendered: the delicate lace of her cap, the elaborate jewelry at her temples, even the subtle texture of the book in her lap. It's a catalog, isn't it, of a particular place and moment. Almost like a butterfly pinned to a board. Doesn't it make you wonder, who was she outside of this rigid representation? Was she aware of how posterity would view her? Editor: Definitely. She looks very proper but those elaborate hair pieces—I guess they would have been?--are quite surprising. Why preserve her image using photography, not paint, do you think? Curator: Photography democratized portraiture. Suddenly, it wasn't just the wealthy elite who could have their likeness captured, right? Although posing like this looks expensive. I'm speculating, of course, but perhaps the photograph was meant as a symbol of pride. Do you think this tells the viewer something about this specific region and what the photographer or the sitter wanted to convey? Editor: Yes, it feels almost anthropological. But it personalizes it as well, through that slightly stern look in her eyes, doesn't it? Thanks, this has given me lots to ponder. Curator: Likewise. Perhaps it's not just about documentation, but also about identity, preservation, and a little bit of…defiance, even? We'll never know, but that's the beauty of art, isn’t it?