Portret van een jonge vrouw met pijpenkrullen, staand bij een stoel 1860 - 1900

This is a photographic portrait of a young woman with piped curls, by F.D. van Rosmalen & Zoon. Here, we see the young woman depicted in a formal pose with a chair, the kind of pose reminiscent of classical portraiture, indicating status and decorum. But it's her hairstyle, those piped curls, that capture my attention. These curls remind me of ringlets often seen in depictions of nymphs and goddesses in earlier art. These ringlets, symbols of youth and vitality, reappear throughout art history. Think of Botticelli's Venus; her flowing hair echoes the same life force. Here, they frame her face, a deliberate attempt to connect with those earlier ideals of beauty. It speaks to how deeply rooted certain archetypes are in our collective consciousness. Such visual motifs resonate because they tap into our primal understanding of beauty and femininity. It is fascinating how these visual echoes can subtly influence our perceptions across centuries.