[La Comtesse at Table with Hand to Face] 1860s

"La Comtesse at Table with Hand to Face" (1860s) is a portrait photograph by French artist Pierre-Louis Pierson, known for his work in the Daguerreotype and photographic portraiture styles. This small oval-shaped print, currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, features an unidentified countess seated at a table, her face obscured by her hand. The grainy texture of the image gives the portrait a sense of intimacy and vulnerability, reflecting the artistic trends of the mid-19th century.