Portret van een onbekende vrouw 1855 - 1885

This is an albumen print of an unknown woman by Deligne & Delerive. The composition is dominated by the sitter’s patterned dress, where linear structures converge and diverge in curvilinear folds across her body. The grid pattern of the fabric is important here, since it presents a semiotic paradox. The grid is usually associated with modernity, rationality and order. However, the way the fabric drapes and bends introduces a disruptive element. This tension destabilizes the very idea of a fixed, coherent identity, aligning with post-structuralist theories that challenge stable meanings. Note how the woman’s posture, with her hand gently supporting her face, invites reflection. The photograph thus becomes not just a portrait but a space for contemplation. This is a subtle way to destabilize established meanings in photographic portraiture. The grid of the dress becomes a formal element but also part of a larger cultural discourse about identity.