Portret van een klein meisje in een jurk met een speelgoedpaard c. 1860 - 1895

This photograph, now at the Rijksmuseum, was taken by Franz Wilhelm Deutmann. It presents us with a muted palette of sepia tones, capturing a young child in a dress with a toy horse. The composition is neatly arranged, positioning the child centrally against a backdrop that suggests an outdoor setting. What strikes us is the formal tension created by the clothing of the child in a dress, a subversion of traditional gender codes. The child’s direct gaze challenges viewers, prompting questions about representation and identity. Semiotically, the dress and horse function as signs which can destabilize our understanding of fixed social roles. The photograph as a whole is less about capturing a likeness and more about staging a complex interplay of signs. This challenges the traditional values that are often placed on gender and representation. It remains a poignant reminder that art is always open to re-interpretation and dialogue.