Untitled (Portrait of Seated Man with his Arms Crossed)
1848
Medium
Daguerreotype
Dimensions
10.1 × 8.2 cm (4 1/4 × 3 1/4 in., plate); 11.2 × 18.8 × 1.3 (open case); 11.2 × 9.4 × 1.8 cm (case)
Classification
portrait
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
249903
Art Historical Context
Step into the nascent world of photography with this poignant *Untitled (Portrait of Seated with his Arms Crossed)*, a daguerreotype from 184 created by an unknown maker. Captured on a tiny silvered copper plate measuring just .1 × 8.2 cm, the image depicts a stern, seated figure with arms firmly crossed—a pose evoking quiet resolve and formality. Housed in a protective case, it exemplifies the intimate, jewel-like scale of early photographs, designed for personal keepsakes rather than grand display. Daguerreotypy, announced to the world in 1839 by Louis Daguerre, revolutionized portraiture j...