Portret van een meisje met vlecht in het haar 1860 - 1900

This photographic portrait of a girl with braided hair was made by A. von Rouvroy. Photographs like this one were typically made using a wet collodion process. This involved coating a glass plate with light-sensitive chemicals, exposing it in a camera, and then developing the image, all before the coating dried. The process resulted in incredibly sharp images with a distinctive tonal range. The photograph is mounted on card stock, which would have been a common way to present and preserve photographs at the time. Consider the labor involved in creating such an image. The photographer had to be skilled in chemistry and optics. The sitter had to remain still for several seconds, a challenge even for adults. The clothing and adornment of the sitter also indicate a certain level of economic status. Thinking about the materials and processes used to create this portrait helps us understand not only the image itself, but also the social and economic context in which it was made. It reminds us that even seemingly simple objects can be rich with meaning and history.