Judith 1860s

Pierre-Louis Pierson’s 1860s photograph, “Judith,” is a studio portrait of a woman dressed in a lavish costume. Pierson, a French photographer, was known for his use of dramatic lighting and theatrical staging in his work, as seen in the posed figure and the use of a single light source which casts a soft shadow on her veil. The woman’s elaborate dress suggests she may be an actor in a play or opera, and her facial expression adds to the dramatic effect. “Judith” is an example of 19th-century portrait photography, which favored theatrical and idealized representations of its subjects.