Portret van jonge vrouw 1868 - 1882

This ‘Portret van jonge vrouw’ was created by Wegner & Mottu, but the exact date is unknown. What we see is a small photograph, enclosed within an oval frame. The delicate sepia tones and the tight composition create a sense of intimacy and formality. The oval frame constricts our gaze, drawing attention to the face and elaborate details of her clothing. The woman's expression is soft and self-assured, yet there is a sense of containment. The photograph itself is a sign, a fragment of a life captured and presented within a very structured format. The choice of sepia tones flattens the image, and the photograph's materiality—the way the light interacts with its surface, creating a subtle sheen—adds to its complexity. This photograph encourages us to consider how visual representation involves encoding and decoding through the photograph's formal elements and inherent visual language.