Portret van een onbekende jonge vrouw 1875 - 1884

This small photograph, made by Wegner & Mottu in Amsterdam-Utrecht, is a window into the material culture of the 19th century. Photographs like these were often made using the albumen process, a technique that involved coating a glass plate with egg white and silver nitrate. Once exposed to light, this created a negative image that could be printed onto paper. This portrait's sepia tone and soft focus are characteristic of the albumen print, and give it a distinctive, almost dreamlike quality. While the image is of an unknown woman, the making of the photograph is a testament to the rise of commercial photography. Studios like Wegner & Mottu catered to a growing middle class eager to participate in the new visual economy. The photograph wasn't just about capturing a likeness; it was about participating in a larger social phenomenon, where images became increasingly accessible and circulated widely. This shift challenged traditional art forms and redefined the boundaries of artistic expression.