Portret van een vrouw met een jasje c. 1860 - 1875

Joseph Higby’s “Portret van een vrouw met een jasje” captures a woman in formal attire seated with poised elegance. While undated, the photograph speaks volumes about gender and class during the Victorian era, when a woman's position was often symbolized by her attire and posture. The subject is fashionably dressed, her clothing subtly indicating her status. But there's also a stillness in her eyes, a quiet reserve that hints at the constraints placed upon women of her time. Was she merely a subject, or did she have agency in how she wished to be seen? As we consider her tailored jacket and carefully arranged hair, we might wonder about the untold stories of women whose identities were both defined and confined by the expectations of their society. This photograph, beyond its surface, becomes a poignant reflection on the complexities of womanhood in a bygone era.