Untitled (Portrait of Seated Woman with Book)
1855
Medium
Daguerreotype
Dimensions
8.2 × 6.9 cm (3 1/4 × 2 3/4 in.); Open case: 9.3 × 16.2 × 1 cm (3 11/16 × 6 7/16 × 7/16 in.); Case: 9.3 × 8.1 × 1.5 cm (3 11/16 × 3 1/4 × 5/8 in.); Plate: 8.3 × 7 cm (3 1/4 × 2 3/4 in.)
Classification
portrait
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
249961
Art Historical Context
This intimate daguerreotype, *Untitled (Portrait of Se Woman with Book)*, a poised woman seated with an open book in her lap, her gaze directed thoughtfully off-camera. Created by an unknown in 1855 and now housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Photography Media Department, the tiny image measures just 8.2 × 6.9 cm, preserved within a protective case that highlights its role as a cherished personal object. Daguerreotypes like this one represent a pivotal moment in art history: the dawn of photography. Invented in 1839 by Louis Daguerre, the process involved exposing a silver-plated copper ...