Portret van een onbekende vrouw 1863 - 1885

Curator: Here we have an albumen print portrait, presumably taken between 1863 and 1885 by the photographer Jules Delsart. It is simply titled, "Portret van een onbekende vrouw," or "Portrait of an Unknown Woman." Editor: She looks… serious. Very self-contained. I imagine her spending a lot of time with books, perhaps writing a stern letter about societal injustices! There's a real sense of resolve in her gaze, even softened as it is by the photographic technique. Curator: Indeed. The albumen print process, which was widely used in this period, does lend a certain ethereal quality to the image, partially obscuring details of dress. We observe an intriguing formal tension—the rigid conventions of portraiture versus the slightly blurred effect. The very sepia tones create a sense of intimacy. Editor: It’s intimate but distant, wouldn't you say? Almost like we’re peeking at her across time. And those high, tight sleeves contrast nicely with the soft focus and coloring. She could be just sitting for the photograph or be actively contemplating how to dynamite the patriarchy! Curator: I think that the material considerations provide other interesting perspectives on this work. In its time, photography was already challenging academic painting’s dominance. Photography granted broader access to creating and possessing a likeness of oneself. In that sense, a new egalitarianism appeared. Editor: Absolutely. Democratization, right? The average person might be able to buy themselves something that suggests they too can belong to a lineage worth preserving. Curator: In this instance, Delsart, the artist, creates not just an aesthetic record, but almost unintentionally archives socio-economic transformation. It is important to remember the cultural value granted to it, whether or not that was its intent at the time of its creation. Editor: It's funny to think of this small photographic image serving as an agent of societal change, carrying that potential hidden behind a modest, albeit firm face. Now when I see the photo, she will feel different now that we have explored it a little more. Curator: The confluence of technique and presentation definitely opens up myriad interpretive frameworks.