Portret van een onbekende vrouw 1891 - 1901

This small photograph shows an unknown woman and was produced by Jules Fontaine in Rouen. Here, the studio portrait becomes an affordable means of recording one's likeness, and projecting an image of middle-class respectability. The woman’s dress is decorated with lace detailing at the collar and the puff sleeves were a popular style in the late nineteenth century. This is an era when fashion was dictated by the elite and quickly copied and distributed through the commercial press. Consider the implicit hierarchies involved in the production of this image. The commercial photographer served a social function, catering to the desires and aspirations of ordinary people. While we may not know the sitter's name, photographic archives can still provide a wealth of information about social trends and the democratisation of portraiture in France and across the world.