Portret van een onbekende vrouw 1855 - 1885

This portrait of an unknown woman was captured by G. Thiébault using early photographic techniques. The image, likely an albumen print, involved coating paper with a layer of egg white and silver nitrate, then exposing it to light through a negative. Consider the material reality of her dress, likely silk or a finely woven cotton, reflecting light with its subtle sheen. The labor involved in producing such a garment – from cultivating raw materials to spinning, weaving, dyeing, cutting and sewing – represents a vast network of workers and skills. The elaborate construction of the dress, with its full skirt and fitted bodice, suggests the privileged status of the sitter. In contrast to the artisanal nature of textiles, early photography was an emerging technology, democratizing portraiture while also creating new forms of labor in studios like Thiébault's. Examining both the dress and the photograph through the lens of materials and making offers insight into the social and economic context of the time, challenging any strict separation between art, craft, and industry.