[Unknown Sitters and Duchesse de Morny] 1855 - 1865

These four albumen silver prints with applied color, of unknown sitters and the Duchesse de Morny, were made by Pierre-Louis Pierson, a French photographer active in the mid-19th century. Photography in France was heavily influenced by the social and political climate of the time. In the Second Empire, when this photograph was likely made, the court of Napoleon III was known for its lavishness and extravagance. The rise of photography as a popular medium coincided with the increasing importance of image and representation in society. These portraits reflect the era’s obsession with status and fashion, as they document the elaborate dresses and poses of their subjects. To fully understand this image, a historian might look to fashion plates of the time, conduct genealogical research, and study primary sources from the Second Empire. The social conditions that shaped this kind of artistic production reveal how art and photography reflect and reinforce the values of their time.