Portret van een vrouw 1875 - 1896

This portrait of a woman was created by Paul Joseph Nicolas Nestor Schaffers sometime in the mid-to-late nineteenth century, using photographic processes. Photography, although seemingly immediate, involves carefully orchestrated handwork. From mixing chemicals to meticulously arranging the subject, each step demands skillful attention. The muted tones and soft focus you see here are not accidental; they're the result of deliberate choices made in the darkroom. The rise of photography coincided with the industrial revolution, offering a new way to represent the world. Unlike painting, which was often seen as the domain of high art, photography democratized portraiture, making it accessible to a broader segment of society. Yet, even as it embraced mass production, photography retained elements of craft, particularly in the way each print was handled and finished. Looking at this image, we should consider not only the sitter but also the labor involved in its creation, and how photography blurred the lines between art, craft, and industry.