Mathias und Elise Häusermann 1850s - 1860s

Franz Antoine created this portrait of Mathias and Elise Häusermann using photography, a medium still relatively new at the time. Note how the composition is structured around contrasts. The vertical lines of the classical columns in the background sharply juxtapose with the organic forms of the vine on the left. This tension is mirrored in the subjects themselves, as Mathias’s dark formal attire and upright posture provide a stark contrast with Elise’s light, floral dress. The light falling on the subjects is uneven, creating both highlights and deep shadows that delineate the textures and shapes of their clothing. The photograph can be interpreted as a semiotic system, where clothing and posture serve as signs of social standing. It invites us to consider how such early photographic portraits were instrumental in shaping and reinforcing bourgeois identities. Furthermore, the formal construction suggests a calculated presentation, where the interplay of light, line, and form functions to convey a specific message of status. The controlled environment serves to challenge the notion of photography as a purely objective representation of reality.