Duchesse Marguerita De Madrid 1878

Felix Nadar made this portrait of Duchesse Marguerita De Madrid using photography, a relatively new medium at the time. It was a technique that democratized image-making, but also created a different kind of preciousness. What interests me most about this portrait is the Duchess’s dress. It appears to be made from layers of lace and perhaps silk, all incredibly labor-intensive textiles. Each stitch was likely made by hand, a testament to the skilled labor required to create such a garment. When photography emerged, handmade garments became even more highly valued. The ability to create the garments became a form of cultural capital itself, but only accessible to certain groups. Thinking about the amount of work involved, from the dressmaker’s expertise to the photographer’s careful composition, challenges traditional notions of art. It reminds us that the true value of an artwork lies not just in its aesthetic appeal, but also in the human effort and cultural context that shaped its creation.