Portret van een zittende vrouw 1855 - 1880

This is a small photograph called ‘Portret van een zittende vrouw’ (Portrait of a seated woman) by the brothers Becher. The woman in the portrait appears to be part of a changing, yet still rigid, society where gender roles were very defined. Her dress, though elaborate, hints at the restrictive nature of women’s fashion at the time, a literal binding and shaping of the female form. She's gazing off to the side which gives the impression she might be contemplating something beyond her immediate surroundings. The Becher brothers, working in a time of burgeoning photographic portraiture, capture not just an image, but perhaps a subtle commentary on the roles and expectations of women in their era. This photograph serves as a quiet reflection on the lived experience of women in a time of great social and technological change.