Les edoiles de jois 1860s

Curator: Oh, this is Pierre-Louis Pierson's photograph, "Les etoiles de joie", from the 1860s. It resides here at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. What are your immediate thoughts? Editor: It's hauntingly beautiful, but not joyful, ironically. The lighting and pose exude a fragile solemnity, don't you think? It is difficult to grasp in photographic reproductions. Curator: Well, yes. Pierson, in so many of his portraits, truly explored dramatic lighting. Look how he used it to sculpt the face and how the soft focus evokes the sitter’s character and status within the Second Empire. It adds an enigmatic dimension. The sitter also gives off the look of having not blinked in a couple hours... Editor: The title, however, really throws a curve ball. "Stars of Joy?" I find it quite intriguing how Pierson has this portrait, that projects stillness, against the label of bursting jubilation. Perhaps it's the contrast itself he’s exploring—the ephemeral nature of happiness captured in a static image. The fur, the hairpiece, it all hints to me at something performative. It is almost like he is trying to catch an emotion or role play. Curator: I think you have captured Pierson's brilliance exactly! There is indeed that tension. But how do you mean? Editor: Think about what it meant to "sit" for a photograph in that era; it wasn't candid! Every element of this image, her expression, her jewels, etc, had to be rigidly posed to come off that fleeting moment. Curator: And it’s worth noting he worked closely with the Countess de Castiglione, which gives us context for the extravagant fashion on display. She, apparently, directed every element of their many portrait sessions! Pierson understood and framed her intentions. Editor: I see her as an equal author of the image. A star, indeed. The more I consider the technical aspects, like the albumen print medium, the sepia tones adding a veneer of timelessness… the more compelling I find the overall piece. What do you suppose will strike the viewers of our tour today? Curator: It's likely this beautiful, yet ambiguous photo, challenges viewers, to embrace not only technical process of photography, but also its performative nature.