Portret van een vrouw, aangeduid als mevrouw Saugnier, geboren als Emilie Duparc 1855 - 1880

Alphonse Amédée Baril made this photograph of Madame Saugnier, née Emilie Duparc, in France at a time when photography was becoming increasingly popular as a means of portraiture. The image creates meaning through a variety of visual and cultural codes. Notice the sitter's pose: formal, seated, with her hands clasped in her lap. This conveys respectability and decorum. The book on the table beside her suggests education and intellect, while the elaborate dress hints at her family's wealth and status. In nineteenth-century France, portraiture served an important social function. Photography allowed middle-class families to emulate the aristocracy, commissioning images that projected an ideal of social standing. Historians look to sources such as fashion plates, etiquette manuals, and census records to understand the social context that shaped the production and reception of photographs like this one. These help us appreciate the politics of imagery and the public role of art.