Portret van een vrouw met muts 1871 - 1891

Gerrit Dirk Siewers made this portrait of a woman with a bonnet using the 19th-century albumen print process. Now, this particular photographic method involved coating paper with a layer of egg white, and then sensitizing it with silver nitrate. The paper was then exposed to light through a negative, and the resulting image was developed and fixed. The albumen gives the print its characteristic sheen and fine detail. While photography automated some aspects of portraiture, consider the labour still involved, from preparing the chemicals to posing the sitter. The final product, like a miniature painting, became a precious object, but one produced in multiples, hinting at new possibilities for reproduction and consumption. Looking closely at the image, we can appreciate the skill and care that went into producing it, reminding us that even in the age of mechanical reproduction, human artistry remains central. It blurs the line between art and craft.