Mlle Nathan dans Pierre de Medicis 1860

This is André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri's photograph, "Mlle Nathan dans Pierre de Medicis", mounted on an album page. The image provides a glimpse into the world of mid-19th-century Parisian theater, a world in which gender and class were always on display. In the image, we see Mademoiselle Nathan, an actress, costumed for her role in "Pierre de Medicis". Disdéri has captured her in a series of poses, made possible by the rise of carte-de-visite photography. This new technology democratized portraiture but also created a market for images of celebrities, like Mlle Nathan. The image invites questions about performance, identity, and representation. What does it mean to perform a role, both on and off the stage? The image captures a moment of carefully constructed femininity, and makes it available for mass consumption. It is an intimate portrait of a performer, yet one that is mediated by the lens of the camera and the gaze of the photographer.