Untitled [portrait of a woman] c. 1844 - 1852

Jeremiah Gurney’s *Untitled [portrait of a woman]* (c. 1844 - 1852) is a daguerreotype, a photographic process that produces a unique image on a silver-plated copper sheet. The small, intimate portrait depicts a woman in a dark dress and a pink bow, seated with a contemplative gaze. The image’s detail and realistic portrayal are hallmarks of the early daguerreotype, which captured the burgeoning interest in capturing life’s fleeting moments in the 19th century. The artwork is currently housed in the Minneapolis Institute of Art.