Mlle Sanlaville dans Gisèle 1863

André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri captured this image of Mlle Sanlaville in Gisèle in 1863. The multiple exposures are characteristic of Disdéri's work, who patented the carte de visite format. Here, we see Sanlaville in character as Gisèle. The ballet tells the story of a peasant girl who dies of a broken heart when she discovers her lover is betrothed to another. But more than a tragic love story, Gisèle speaks volumes about class and gender. The romantic ballet, popular in the 19th century, often placed women in the role of either ethereal beings or madwomen, reflecting the limited roles available to them in society. While seemingly delicate, ballerinas like Sanlaville were also symbols of strength and discipline, undergoing rigorous training to achieve the illusion of weightlessness. The gaze that we direct at Sanlaville, frozen in time, echoes how women were often viewed: as objects of beauty, yet also performers of social expectations.