Portret van een jonge vrouw 1860 - 1868

Peter Carstensen made this photographic portrait of a young woman using the wet collodion process, a popular technique in the mid-19th century. This method involved coating a glass plate with a light-sensitive emulsion, exposing it in a camera, and then developing it immediately. The resulting image, a fragile negative, could then be used to create multiple positive prints on paper. The sepia tone you see here is characteristic of this printing process, a result of the chemical reactions involved. While photography was becoming more accessible, it was still a far cry from today's point-and-shoot convenience. The wet collodion process demanded skill, precision, and a dedicated workspace, a darkroom. This portrait therefore speaks to the sitter's status and access to new technologies, and also to the photographer's mastery of a complex, hands-on medium. It bridges the gap between craft and industry, fixing a moment in time with both scientific and artistic means.