Portret van een vrouw met kan 1860 - 1880

Anatole Pougnet made this photographic portrait of a woman with a jug, sometime in the late 19th century. This is a carte-de-visite, a small photograph mounted on card, and mass produced. In terms of materials, the card backing would have come from paper mills, and the image created through chemical processes using a camera and darkroom. Photography democratized portraiture, making images accessible to a wider public. Consider the labor involved in its making. While Pougnet was a skilled photographer, the mass production depended on factories and labor. This included the work of the sitter who likely was a performer, enacting a fictional character. The clothing is theatrical, even costume-like. Ultimately, photography blurred lines between art, craft, and industry. The camera is a tool but also a means of artistic expression, and by examining the materials and social context, we understand the significance of this small image.