Portret van een onbekende vrouw 1860s

"Portret van een onbekende vrouw," a carte de visite photograph by Edouard van der Elst, captures an unidentified woman in a formal pose, likely taken for a personal keepsake. The woman is dressed in the fashion of the 1860s, with a full-skirted dress, and her serious expression suggests a portrait intended for remembrance. The image demonstrates van der Elst's skill in the popular photographic genre of the carte de visite, a small, standardized format often used to exchange portraits. The photograph's small dimensions, measuring 103 mm by 58 mm, contribute to the intimacy of the image.