Portret van een prinses van Wales 1860 - 1880

This is a photographic portrait of a Princess of Wales, made by M. Unna. The photograph presents a certain visual code that reminds us of the sitter’s position in society. It seems a straightforward piece, yet portraiture always plays a public role in solidifying cultural norms and hierarchies. Photography during this time was becoming more democratized. The portrait became a tool to allow access to imagery of the Royals for the common people. To understand this work better, we might want to look at how photography studios operated commercially, what other kinds of images they made, who their clientele were, and what were the accepted ways of portraying royalty. In essence, art, like this portrait, always relies on social context, to solidify the status quo or, on rare occasions, challenge it.