Untitled [portrait of an unidentified young woman] 1858 - 1869

Jeremiah Gurney captured this portrait of an unidentified young woman using the collodion process. The sepia tones and the small scale give the image a feeling of intimacy, as if we're holding a cherished memento. Consider the composition. The young woman is centrally positioned, her gaze meeting ours directly, creating a connection. Gurney uses soft focus, blurring the details of her hair and dress, which contrasts with the sharper rendering of her face. The pearls around her neck form a visual focal point that draws the eye. This photograph invites questions about representation and identity. In the 19th century, portraiture was a tool for constructing and conveying social status. Yet, here, the softness and tonal ambiguity, create an ethereal feel. The formal qualities of this photograph—its intimate scale and delicate tones—hint at larger themes of memory, identity, and the act of seeing. These photographs capture not just likenesses but the transient nature of existence.