Les étoiles de jois 1860s

"Les étoiles de jois" was made by Pierre-Louis Pierson, using photography. Pierson was known for photographing countess Virginia Oldoini, also known as the Countess di Castiglione. Photography in this era was more than a process, it was also a commercial opportunity. The sitter's clothing—the lush textiles and frills, the elaborate bonnet—suggests the Countess was conscious of the image she wished to project: one of status. Pierson's success depended on the fashion and textile industries, and on the market for reproducing images of people like the Countess. The photograph itself involved both technical and artistic decisions. Choices were made about lighting, backdrop, and the angle of the shot. The sepia tone, achieved through chemical processes, contributes to its period aesthetic. In a sense, we could say that the photograph is as much a product of industrial chemistry as it is of artistic vision. Pierson’s work blurs the lines between craft, fashion, and early industrial capitalism.