[Mother and Son]
ca. 1855
![[Mother and Son] by Unidentified](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/smith/thumb/mother-and-son-smith-061276-0.webp)
Medium
Photography-Photoprint
Classification
Photography-Photoprint
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase from the Charles Isaacs Collection made possible in part by the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment
Accession Number
1994.91.192
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the mid-19th century, photography burst onto the scene, intimate family portraits like *[Mother and Son]* (ca. 1855) captured everyday tenderness in ways previously reserved for painted elites. This unidentified photoprint, likely an early albumen silver print, depicts a mother and her young son in a quiet, affectionate pose—evoking the era's emphasis on domestic bliss and maternal bonds. Such images were revolutionary, making portraiture accessible to the middle class through studios that produced affordable, hand-tinted keepsakes. Created around 1855, this work reflects the rapid evoluti...
About the Artist
Unidentified ( ) · –