Portret van een onbekende vrouw before 1900

Hermann Brandseph created this silver gelatin print, “Portrait of an Unknown Woman”, sometime between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Photography was a rapidly evolving technology at this time, and with it came new opportunities for portraiture, as this work demonstrates. The silver gelatin process allowed for finer detail and a wider tonal range compared to earlier photographic methods. If you look closely, you can appreciate the soft gradations of light and shadow, which give the image a sense of depth. Brandseph was working at a time when photography was both democratizing image-making and becoming increasingly professionalized. Studios like his offered access to portraiture for a broader clientele, while also shaping aesthetic conventions. The rise of photography raised questions about labor and artistry, challenging traditional notions of skill and authorship. Photography studios emerged as sites of social and cultural exchange. This print offers a glimpse into a pivotal moment in the history of visual culture, one that blurred the boundaries between art, craft, and industry.