Portret van een onbekende vrouw bij een stoel 1855 - 1885

Editor: This is "Portret van een onbekende vrouw bij een stoel" – Portrait of an Unknown Woman by a Chair – created sometime between 1855 and 1885 by the photographer Dupuis. It's a gelatin silver print on paper, giving it a wonderfully muted, sepia tone. She seems very self-possessed and direct; yet, there's also something a bit melancholy about her posture and gaze. What strikes you when you look at it? Curator: Oh, my darling, isn't she divine? Her presence vibrates with a captivating quietude, like a forgotten melody resonating in the corridors of time. The softness of the gelatin silver print almost cocoons her in a dreamlike embrace, allowing us, perhaps, a privileged glimpse into her interior world. I wonder, do you feel that sense of her untold story pressing against the photographic surface? Editor: I definitely feel the sense of an untold story! Do you think the chair plays any significant role beyond just being a prop? Curator: Ah, the chair! It’s a steadfast companion, isn’t it? More than mere support, I feel it whispers of domesticity, of a life both anchored and constrained. The chair is a silent witness, a confidante. Tell me, does it evoke in you any sense of stillness or perhaps… a yearning for something beyond its plush confines? Editor: I hadn’t thought of it like that! It's fascinating how an everyday object can hold so much implied meaning. Thank you for your insights, this opens up a lot of considerations about this era. Curator: My sweet editor, the joy is all mine. Isn't it enchanting how a simple portrait can become a portal, whisking us away to untold narratives and long-lost emotions?