Portret van een onbekende vrouw 1853

Wilhelmus Cornelis Chimaer van Oudendorp created this portrait of an unknown woman, using lithography. Portraits in the 19th century served as important markers of social standing. This image, likely made in the Netherlands, reflects the values of the rising middle class. Observe the sitter's dress; the fabric's sheen, the lace trim, and even the delicate ring on her finger all signal a degree of financial comfort and social respectability. But, equally important is the image's very existence. Consider the social and institutional factors involved in its creation; the artist was reliant on commissions from people like this woman, and her family, who likely wanted a record of their status for posterity. The fact that we don't know her name raises questions about women's roles in society and the ways in which their identities were often subsumed by their relationships to men. By consulting genealogical records and historical accounts of middle-class life in the Netherlands, we might be able to uncover more about this woman's world and the meaning of this image in its time.