Portret van een onbekende jonge vrouw 1900 - 1914

This is a photograph of an unknown young woman, made by Samson & Cie. The photographic process, whatever specific technique was used here, fundamentally changed portraiture. Previously, only the wealthy could afford to have their likeness captured, by commissioning a painted portrait. Photography, though still a specialized trade, made images far more widely accessible. The card format seen here, with the studio’s name and address printed at the bottom, enabled a kind of mass production. Looking closely, we can see the subtle tones captured by the chemical process, the soft textures of the woman’s garments, and the overall composition – which is of course carefully arranged by the photographer. Consider the labor that went into making the sitter presentable: her styled hair, her carefully chosen clothes, all adding to the image she wanted to project. Ultimately, the value of this object lies in the way it democratized image-making, bringing it within reach of a broader populace.