Portret van een vrouw c. 1887 - 1894

This is a portrait of a woman by Jacques Chits, made using photographic techniques. The sepia tone and small size suggest a carte-de-visite, popular in the mid-19th century. Photography at this time was a complex blend of science and craft. Glass plate negatives, coated with light-sensitive chemicals, were exposed in large format cameras. The resulting images were then printed onto photographic paper. This was a labor-intensive process requiring technical expertise and careful attention to detail. Each print involved a choreographed series of actions in the darkroom. Beyond the technical aspects, the carte-de-visite speaks to the rise of consumer culture and mass production. Photography democratized portraiture, making it accessible to a wider audience than traditional painting. But it also created new forms of labor, as studios churned out images for a growing market. By understanding these material and social contexts, we gain a richer appreciation for this seemingly simple photograph, and the complex history of art.