The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of March 16, 2026
Jewish Woman in Algeria
c. 1875
attributed to Jean Geiser
Image: 20.3 x 15.7 cm (8 x 6 3/16 in.); Mounted: 44.7 x 30.6 cm (17 5/8 x 12 1/16 in.)
Jo Hershey Selden Fund 2024.7
Location: Not on view
Did You Know?
This woman’s dress, its decoration, and her jewelry help identify her as a Jewish woman in Algeria.Description
It is possible that this photograph was intended as an ethnographic study, but it conveys the sitter’s individuality, beauty, and dignity in a way that we associate with portraits. Muslim Arabs and Berbers, who comprised the majority of people living in Algeria, would most likely not have let their women be photographed without a veil covering the face.- {{cite web|title=Jewish Woman in Algeria|url=false|author=Jean Geiser|year=c. 1875|access-date=16 March 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2024.7