Portret van een vrouw 1861 - 1877

Edgar Drewett created this photographic portrait of a woman using the wet collodion process. A painstaking procedure, it involved coating a glass plate with chemicals, exposing it in the camera while still wet, and then developing it immediately. The resulting print, albumen silver, has a distinctive tonal range and sharpness. Notice how the light catches the woman's dress, highlighting the fabric's texture. The dark cape, with its delicate lace edging, contrasts with the smooth backdrop. This backdrop, which was most likely painted, gives the illusion of depth and grandeur. Photographic portraits like this democratized image-making. While painted portraits were the preserve of the wealthy, photography offered a relatively affordable way for a broader segment of society to record their likeness. Drewett's work gives us a fascinating insight into the material culture and social aspirations of the time, challenging our notions of what constitutes art.