Bruid in onderkleding doet haar schoenen uit terwijl haar bruidegom toekijkt vanachter een kamerscherm c. 1870 - 1890

This is a photograph by Eugène Hanau, called 'Bride in underwear takes off her shoes while her groom watches from behind a screen'. The picture presents a voyeuristic scene, composed with a delicate tonal range in sepia, which softens what might otherwise be a harsh gaze. The bride and groom are spatially separated, introducing a narrative tension. The composition is arranged as a series of framed views. The screen acts as a partition and the bed’s canopy creates an intimate enclosure. The gaze of the groom, positioned above and behind the screen, is a potent element. His voyeurism is mediated through the screen, which operates as both a barrier and a facilitator of his gaze, turning a private moment into a staged tableau. The details of the garments and room decor reinforce a certain bourgeois sensibility that is both alluring and problematic. The photograph functions as a cultural artifact that reflects complex themes of privacy, observation, and the performative aspects of intimacy. It captures a moment of transition and invites us to consider the underlying structures of looking and being seen.