Portret van een staande vrouw met parasol 1860 - 1870

This photograph by Sabatier portrays a standing woman with a parasol. It's a carte-de-visite, likely from the mid-19th century. The photograph creates meaning through visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations. Consider the context. Photography was becoming more accessible, yet portraiture remained a status symbol. The woman’s dress, her posture, and the presence of a parasol – all speak to a certain level of social standing. The inscription at the top reads "L'aristocratie, ligne hier et... " while at the bottom is written "ante soeur", so it is likely that the woman is of the aristocracy. To truly understand this image, we might delve into fashion history, studying etiquette manuals, or even census records. The historian pieces together such fragments to understand the social structures of the past, and photography, despite its claim to objectivity, offers its own carefully constructed view.