Sèriè à la Ristori 1860s

This photograph was made by Pierre-Louis Pierson sometime in the mid-19th century, and the processes involved in making it were fairly cutting-edge at the time. Photography in this period was really a hybrid of art and industry. It required the skillful manipulation of chemistry to achieve the image, but also substantial capital investment in equipment. Pierson was known for his elaborate sets, and also for photographing the Countess de Castiglione, a socialite known for her expensive taste in clothing. Here she appears in relatively simple garb, which actually draws our attention to the material of the photograph itself – the alchemical silver compounds, which were so essential to creating the image. This material has a direct bearing on our perception, doesn't it? We could say that Pierson was crafting an image of celebrity, while also crafting the image itself, through careful management of the photographic process. This was a type of labor all its own, quite different from that involved in painting a portrait, or weaving the Countess's dress. It's important to consider these overlapping modes of production if we want to understand how the photograph creates meaning.