Mlle Therasson [?]; Fréret

Art Historical Context

In 1864, pioneering French photographer André-Adolphe-Eène Disdéri capturedMlle Therasson []; Fréret*, an albumen silver print from a glass negative that exemplifies the vibrant portraiture of Second Empire Paris. This elegant image, measuring 7 3/8 × 9 1/4 inches, likely depicts a poised young woman—possibly the titular Mlle Therasson— with the refined formality typical of mid-19th-century studio photography. Disdéri, renowned for inventing the carte de visite format 1854, revolutionized portraiture by making affordable, collectible photos accessible to the masses, turning photography into a social phenomenon. The albumen silver process, using egg whites to bind light-sensitive silver salts on paper, produced the sharp, luminous tones that defined 19th-century prints. This technique, paired with glass negatives for superior detail, allowed Disdéri to mass-produce images while maintaining artistic quality. Mounted on a larger album page (10 3/8 × 13 3/4 inches), it evokes the era's album-keeping tradition, where families curated celebrity and personal portraits like trading cards. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Gilman Collection, this work highlights photography's shift from novelty to cultural staple, capturing the glamour and aspiration of 1860s France. Visitors will appreciate its technical finesse and glimpse into a time when a single image could immortalize social grace.

About the Artist

André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri · 1819–1889

**André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri** (1819–1889) was a pioneering French photographer whose innovations transformed portraiture into a mass medium during the Second Empire. Born on March 28, 1819, in Paris, Disdéri pursued diverse careers in commerce, acting, and politics early on, while studying art amid personal hardships following his father's death, which compelled him to support his mother, sibli...