Mathilde (autre) 1860s

This photograph, titled Mathilde, was made by Pierre-Louis Pierson. In this sepia print, notice first the elaborate confection of Mathilde’s gown, the way that the textile seems to defy gravity. This, of course, is the real art here: the artistry of dressmaking and the labor involved in constructing such a garment. Consider the labor involved in harvesting materials, like the silk that would have been used in such a dress. And then the spinning, dying, weaving, and embellishment. So many hands went into Mathilde’s magnificent dress, including that of the couturier, who cut and assembled the swathes of material into its final form. Photography has always been about much more than just the final image. The real art lies in the making, the materiality, and the stories that materials tell.