Judith 1860s

Curator: What we have here is a gelatin silver print dating back to the 1860s, crafted by the talented Pierre-Louis Pierson, housed right here at the Met. It's entitled "Judith". Editor: It’s utterly melancholic! The woman almost melts into the beige tones. Is she hiding, praying, or simply heartbroken? Curator: Considering the title and the period, it could certainly be a Romantic interpretation of the biblical Judith, a figure of courage and defiance. Think about what was happening around 1860s in terms of the making of things, and also the economy. Here's someone working as a studio photographer doing commercial work, staging historical narratives like this one, where photography can become both documentation and romantic storytelling, produced through intensive labor to be sold affordably. Editor: And her dress – all those delicate lace embellishments... were they standard or aspirational? It’s a fascinating tension isn't it—the democratization of image making meeting these ideals of beauty. Curator: Definitely. And Pierre-Louis Pierson was known for collaborating with Count Aquiles Aguado, someone well known to the court. There is much more depth, wealth and socialite intrigue here than may at first meet the eye. Editor: Knowing it's a staged scene gives a layer of intrigue, I suppose. There's so much artifice, and a lot of care to conjure emotion through a material representation. Is that a dagger she holds concealed in her dress, or just a fold of fabric creating that illusion? I would love to know if it was planned or spontaneous. Curator: It plays into this performative aspect of the era’s photographic portraiture; we need to remember these early photographic prints demanded skill in selection of materials such as specific gelatins and papers, as well as extended production and post-production time. This tension is quite powerful to me, but seeing Judith as a photographic product makes a lot of sense within its own time. Editor: I now appreciate it with deeper resonance; it makes me think of the delicate balance between intention, accident, and the artist's skill that results in moments like this. Curator: Indeed; these kinds of insights are key to getting the most out of works such as Pierre-Louis Pierson’s “Judith”.