Portret van een meisje 1858 - 1890

This portrait of a girl was made with photographic techniques by A. Böeseken. The final result, albumen print, has an interesting texture and tonal range. Photography in the 19th century involved many skilled processes, from preparing the glass plate negative to mixing the chemical baths. Here, we can see the effect of the artist's hand in capturing the light, and we can also see evidence of industrial processes in the uniform aesthetic of the mounted photograph, where multiple copies could be produced and distributed at a relatively low cost. Consider the amount of labour that went into capturing this moment. The photographer, the person printing the image, and the young girl, who would have been required to sit still for some time. This combination of artistic skill, and the impact of photographic technology, offer us a glimpse into the meeting of artistic expression and the emergence of mass media.