Le bournous (colorie) 1860s

Pierre-Louis Pierson created this hand-colored print of a young girl dressed in a bournous, sometime in the mid-19th century. Pierson was active in a Paris shaped by the rise of photography as both a commercial and artistic medium. He worked closely with the Countess de Castiglione, a prominent figure in the French court, known for her beauty and extravagant costumes. This image, like many of Pierson's works, likely served as a costume study, reflecting the theatricality and performative aspects of aristocratic life. The hand-coloring adds a layer of artifice, blurring the line between photography and painting. Understanding the social context of this image involves looking at the patronage system that sustained artists like Pierson. Scholarly resources, such as period fashion plates and social histories of the Second Empire, can help us understand the cultural values that this image embodies. By studying the institutions and social networks that supported Pierson, we gain a richer understanding of the image.