Portret van een onbekend meisje 1880 - 1910

This is a carte-de-visite, or visiting card photograph, of an unknown girl by Dodé & Boucher. The oval vignette in muted sepia tones and the girl’s direct gaze create a structured yet intimate encounter. The composition centers on the girl, whose formal attire and carefully arranged hair are framed by the dark oval backdrop. Her dress, with its high collar and subtle pleating, speaks to a specific cultural code of modesty and social standing. The limited tonal range emphasizes texture, from the soft curls of her hair to the smooth surface of the photographic print. The minimal color palette invites us to consider the photograph's symbolic function. As a carte-de-visite, it served as a token of exchange, a physical representation of an individual within the burgeoning social networks of the time. The girl's anonymous status underscores how these images often functioned not just as personal mementos, but as part of a broader system of representation and communication.