Portret van een vrouw 1878 - 1885

This is a photograph by Eugene Guérin, and though the exact date is unknown, it was very likely made using the wet collodion process. This technique, popular in the mid-19th century, involved coating a glass plate with a light-sensitive emulsion, exposing it in the camera while still wet, and then developing it immediately. The material quality is striking. The albumen print, made from a paper base coated with egg white, gives the image its soft, sepia tone and smooth surface. These prints were relatively inexpensive, yet offered remarkable detail. Think about the labor involved: from preparing the chemicals to the darkroom work, photography was still a craft. But it was quickly becoming industrialized, changing the nature of portraiture. Once limited to the wealthy, now it was becoming more accessible, reflecting broader shifts in society and consumption. The photographic medium itself, with all its material and technical aspects, is fundamental to understanding its social and cultural significance.