Mlle. Jeanne tellement tremblante que le photographe ne peut pas fixer les yeux 1854 - 1856

Curator: Just look at this image, “Mlle. Jeanne tellement tremblante que le photographe ne peut pas fixer les yeux,” a daguerreotype from the mid-1850s by Louis-Pierre-Théophile Dubois de Nehaut, housed right here at the Met. There’s such a somberness to it, almost ghostly. Editor: Somber, certainly. And consider the process. The sensitivity of a daguerreotype, the labor involved, and the social context—imagine Mlle. Jeanne, rendered so still for the exposure. The materials alone tell a story. Curator: Oh, precisely. And note how her costume—the cap, the dress—creates an aura of fragility and transience. And what of the portrait hanging on the wall behind her? It casts a significant cultural shadow over this captured moment. Editor: Indeed. The hanging portrait and draped fabric could denote status and a level of class consumption, but they might be props. Focus instead on the making: The silver-plated copper, meticulously polished. Each plate needed to be handled just so in the darkroom. There are risks, labor concerns here we can analyze and uncover through production. Curator: Interesting! However, I see so many symbols of domesticity— the portrait hints at familial lineage, which in turn enhances our perception. The veil signifies modesty and demureness, revealing psychological dimensions of this individual frozen in time. Editor: The sheen and reflectivity could speak of early photographic processes, rather than social signals alone. Let’s not ignore how it affects value. This early labor and material cost defined the value. Curator: Maybe. I am taken by her face, and the title suggests vulnerability as well; the photographic image could reflect the artist capturing the social context, rather than constructing it, but I suspect you’re onto something more deeply rooted in commerce here. Editor: It is not only about that face, though, is it? Consider instead, that the chemistry, skill, and physical elements had to all perform nearly perfectly, despite their value, creating a captured story about our cultural conditions with beauty that even a somber ghost must appreciate. Curator: I agree wholeheartedly; the dialogue here between content and manufacture provides remarkable layers to dissect! Editor: Absolutely; by considering process, it can offer deeper context surrounding production and its impacts through early processes and means.