The Madame B Album c. 1870s

Marie-Blanche Hennelle Fournier created this family album with albumen silver prints mounted on paper. The repeated violet motif winding around family portraits evokes sentiments of modesty, affection, and remembrance. The violet, a symbol of humility, can be traced back to ancient Greece, where it was associated with the goddess of spring, Persephone. Its presence here, interwoven with family portraits, suggests an intimate connection between the cycle of nature and the cycle of life. The violet also became a symbol of the Virgin Mary's humility and love. Perhaps Fournier, consciously or unconsciously, echoes this association, intertwining familial affection with a sense of purity. This evokes deep-seated psychological associations tied to love and longing, engaging viewers on a subconscious level. The cyclical presence of the violet mirrors the cyclical nature of memory itself. Like the recurring motifs in art, the violet resurfaces, evolving, and taking on new meanings.