[Profile of a Woman with Necrosis of the Nose] 1841 - 1848

“[Profile of a Woman with Necrosis of the Nose],” created by Louis-Auguste Bisson between 1841 and 1848, is a striking early daguerreotype portrait of an anonymous woman. The subject is shown in profile, her face partially obscured by a white cap, highlighting the disfigurement of her nose, likely caused by syphilis. This compelling image, now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, provides a glimpse into the medical realities of the 19th century and the impact of disease on individuals. The detail of the woman's face and the precise rendering of her clothing showcase the technical skill of the daguerreotype process, a revolutionary photographic technique that emerged in the 1830s.