Nonne blanche (en pied) 1860s

This photograph, by Pierre-Louis Pierson, probably dates to the 1860s, and presents a woman in a white dress. The image is printed on albumen paper, a process that involves coating paper with egg white to create a glossy surface for the photographic emulsion. What's interesting here is the way the photograph mimics the appearance of a painted portrait. The woman's pose, the controlled lighting, and the neutral backdrop all suggest a deliberate attempt to elevate photography to the status of high art. Photography was still a relatively new medium at this time, and practitioners were keen to demonstrate its artistic potential. Consider, too, the labor involved in producing such an image. From preparing the chemicals to posing the sitter and carefully controlling the exposure, photography in the 19th century was a painstaking process. By emphasizing the material and technical aspects of photography, we can begin to appreciate its significance as a cultural practice. The making of photographs such as this one can be seen to have challenged the established hierarchy of the arts.