[Album page with ten photographs of La Comtesse mounted recto and verso] 1861 - 1867

Curator: This album page featuring ten albumen prints by Pierre-Louis Pierson, dating from the 1860s, really foregrounds photography’s relationship to both portraiture and broader social production. Editor: It’s fascinating seeing the Comtesse de Castiglione in these repeated poses. They feel so…staged, even performative. What do you see here? Curator: I see a careful manipulation of the Comtesse’s image, not just in posing, but in the very materiality of the photograph itself. Consider the albumen print process: how does the labour involved in creating these images, the cost of the materials, speak to the Comtesse's social standing? Editor: It definitely emphasizes the economic and social power at play. The repetition of poses, the different settings… it's like a cataloging of her identity. Curator: Precisely. And think about the consumption of these images. Were they circulated widely, or were they meant for a more exclusive audience? That impacts how we interpret their meaning. Editor: So, the materiality and process aren't just technical aspects, they are crucial for understanding the artwork's role in a larger social and economic context. I hadn't considered that the act of photographic production and the economic means of this contributed meaning to the work. Curator: Exactly! Examining art through its means of production allows us to challenge traditional hierarchies. Instead of just viewing this as portraiture, we recognize how the very making of these photographs is enmeshed in systems of labour, material, and power. Editor: This perspective has truly shifted my understanding. Thanks for sharing that, seeing the art from this Materialist viewpoint has truly enlightened the analysis.