[Portrait of a Woman]

Public Domain

ExpandFavorite

CultureAmerican

Titles

[Portrait of a Woman]

Datec. 1855

MediumDaguerreotype

DimensionsOverall: 4 3/4 × 3 7/8 × 3/4 in. (12.1 × 9.8 × 1.9 cm)

Credit LineThe Sonia Marvins Collection, gift of Sonia Marvins

Object number2003.516

Not on view

Explore Further

Department

Photography

Special Collections

Marvins Family Collections

Object Type

PHOTOGRAPHS

DescriptionWhen first presented to the public in 1839, daguerreotypes—one-of-a-kind photographs on highly polished, silver-plated sheets of copper—were thought to be impractical for portraiture. Improvements to the process soon shortened exposure times, however, and all but a few of the many millions of daguerreotypes produced in the 1840s and 1850s showed the faces of men and women of all stripes. In America, daguerreotypes were most often presented in leather (or later, thermoplastic) cases, just as painted portrait miniatures had been a generation earlier. Although it is now impossible to identify the artist or sitter for many, if not most, surviving daguerreotypes, the miraculous precision of this first photographic process, the artistry with which the best daguerreotypists composed their scenes, and the expressive qualities of the sitters all make these mirrorlike portraits compelling nonetheless.
ProvenanceSonia Marvins, Houston; given to MFAH, 2003.
Exhibition HistoryExhibited: "Recent Acquisitions," the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 12/22/03-2/29/04

"Turning Light Into Silver", 19 February - 30 May 2005, Audrey Jones Beck Building, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, lower level.

“A Photographer’s Collection: Gifts from Michael and Michele Marvins,” The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, April 4–July 5, 2015.

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.