Portret van een jonge vrouw 1882 - 1891

This is a photograph of a young woman by Edouard Fabronius. The photo itself is modest in scale, but the processes and materials used for it have great social significance. Photography was only invented a few decades prior to this portrait, so the technology was a mark of modernity. The ambrotype process involves creating a positive image on glass using a wet collodion emulsion. It's a finicky process requiring skill, knowledge, and access to a fully equipped darkroom. Each image is unique, and the labor to produce it considerable. This photo would have been a prized possession, a mark of social status, and a keepsake to be treasured. Photography democratized portraiture. Yet, it's important to remember that specialized skills and labor were involved, just as in older, more established art forms like painting or sculpture. Photography is not purely mechanical, but imbued with social meaning.