Artwork Page for Young Woman in a Patterned Dress

Details / Information for Young Woman in a Patterned Dress

Young Woman in a Patterned Dress

1860s

America

Medium
daguerreotype with hand-applied color
Measurements
Image: 6.8 x 5.7 cm (2 11/16 x 2 1/4 in.); Case: 9.4 x 8.2 cm (3 11/16 x 3 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Nina Rosenblum and Lisa Rosenblum 2024.16
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print
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Did You Know?

Before the age of the snapshot, being photographed was a special occasion for which people dressed in their best clothing.

Description

Instead of expressing the sitter’s personality, the pose and composition are structured to draw attention to her prized possession: her best dress. The photographer employed a compositional formula and pose frequently chosen by photographers of that era to show off dresses made from fabric with complex, rhythmic geometric patterns.
A daguerreotype with hand-applied color depicts a woman with light skin tone, shoulders turned slightly to our left but looking at us with dark eyes. She wears a dark, patterned dress with long sleeves, a wide belt, and a white lace collar with a brooch. Her dark hair is parted in the center and puffed at the sides. One hand rests on a table. The portrait is held in a scalloped, gold-toned frame.

Young Woman in a Patterned Dress

1860s

America

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