Portret van een onbekende vrouw met een bijzonder kapsel before 1899

This photogravure of an unknown woman with an unusual hairstyle was made by Constant Puyo, a French photographer active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Puyo was a master of the photogravure process, a labor-intensive technique that transformed photographic images into prints resembling etchings. It involved coating a copper plate with a light-sensitive gelatin tissue, exposing it to a photographic negative, and then etching the plate with acid. This process allowed for a wide range of tonal values and a velvety, painterly quality. In this portrait, Puyo uses the photogravure's unique characteristics to create a soft, ethereal effect, focusing on the delicate texture of the woman's dress and the elaborate arrangement of her hair. The image is less about precise detail and more about mood and atmosphere. Puyo challenges the notion of photography as a purely mechanical reproduction, elevating it to the realm of art through skilled manipulation of materials and processes. He reminds us that even in the age of mechanical reproduction, the hand of the artist remains a crucial element.