Mlle Rousseau 1866

André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri captured "Mlle Rousseau" using the then-innovative carte-de-visite format. The sepia tones evoke a sense of nostalgia, typical of the 19th-century photographic aesthetic, with a symmetrical composition, where the sitter is duplicated to create a stereoscopic effect. The formal arrangement invites contemplation on the evolving concept of identity and representation. Disdéri’s choice to present two images side by side prompts us to question the singular nature of the photographic portrait. Consider how the dual image challenges notions of authenticity. Does the doubling enhance or dilute the subject’s presence? The mirroring effect creates a sense of depth and space that encourages dialogue between the images, blurring the line between the subject and its representation. The photograph becomes a field where presence and absence, reality and artifice, negotiate their boundaries.