Portret van een onbekende vrouw in klederdracht 1866 - 1891

Curator: This photographic portrait, "Portret van een onbekende vrouw in klederdracht" by Loescher & Petsch, dates to between 1866 and 1891 and resides at the Rijksmuseum. What grabs you about it? Editor: It's the detail in the costume. It’s so precisely rendered, especially given that it is a photograph! What does it tell us about the time and the people who created it? Curator: Focus on photography's industrialization at this time. Mass production techniques were advancing rapidly. This image isn't just a neutral recording. The detailed rendering speaks to a desire to categorize and display cultural identity for consumption. Consider the material process; the developing of the plate, the printing. All point towards a growing market for ethnographic documentation. Who was commissioning this work, and for what purposes? Was it scientific study, romantic tourism, or colonial administration that were enabled through advancements in this industry? Editor: That makes sense. The production context really changes how I see the photograph. The costume details aren't just aesthetic; they're information, almost data points. What do you think the subject of the photograph thought about that? Curator: Precisely. It moves us to think about the studio's social role. The setting suggests this was meant to evoke authenticity, yet it is very staged. Was she paid for this? What kind of labor and performance did that entail? Editor: I had thought about the beautiful costume, but hadn’t considered who made it, who wore it, and what both those acts signify about labor. Thanks! Curator: And conversely, how these portraits served, and still serve, in constructing ideas of the "Other" and reinforce dominant narratives. Thinking about the material circumstances is key to its critical appreciation.