Portret van een onbekende vrouw met hoofddeksel 1875 - 1885

Mathurin Le Michel made this carte-de-visite portrait of an unknown woman in France sometime after his birth in 1830. This type of small photograph became wildly popular in the mid-19th century as a way to share images of loved ones. Looking at this image, we can learn about the sitter and the artist. The woman is formally dressed, complete with a lace bonnet, suggesting a middle-class background. The ornate chair and side table contribute to this sense of status. Le Michel was working in Rennes, a regional capital in Brittany. The woman's bonnet could indicate that she was Breton, and the photograph may have been commissioned to document her regional identity. As historians, we might consult census records and fashion history to better understand the identities and social worlds of the people pictured. The photograph connects to a range of social practices and institutions, including the fashion industry, the rise of photography as a profession, and the intimate economies of kinship and friendship.