Portret van een jonge vrouw met een versierde kraag c. 1881s - 1891s

This photographic portrait of a young woman with a decorated collar was created by Brainich & Leusink. Photography in the 19th century was a chemical process as much as an artistic one. Light-sensitive materials captured an image, fixed through careful darkroom practice. The sepia tone of the print speaks to the specific chemistry used. These photographs were not just images, but also crafted objects, often presented in decorative mounts like this one, itself carefully designed and produced. Consider the labor involved in the young woman’s clothing. The lace collar, with its intricate pattern, would have been the product of skilled handwork, or perhaps an early machine-made textile. Either way, it speaks to a world of production and consumption, where even seemingly simple garments carried complex social and economic meaning. Looking at this portrait, we must remember the materiality and making behind the image, expanding our understanding of photography as both art and artifact.