Portrait of Alice Dieudonne Chase
Original title: [Portrait of Alice Dieudonne Chase]
kurzbeschreibung
Around 1906, Alice Gerson Chase (Mrs. William Merritt Chase) photographed her daughter Alice Dieudonne Chase, and this gelatin silver print shows the young woman in a plainly furnished interior. She has taken her place beside a wooden table holding a small case and a glass vessel, and she looks straight into the camera.
Description
Over a long dress with a floral pattern the sitter wears a dark jacket, and her long dark hair hangs loose. Her gaze meets the lens directly. To her right stands the wooden table with the case and the glass vessel; on the opposite side a metal container sits on a pedestal decorated with a sphere or fruit. Light falls from the front onto her face and clothing, bringing out her features clearly. The sepia tone lends the picture a historical cast, while the arrangement stays symmetrical and places the woman at its middle.
Context
The photograph dates from around 1906, a time when portrait photography was loosening its ties to studio painting. Alice Gerson Chase was married to the painter William Merritt Chase, known for portraits and still lifes; the daughter seen here, Alice, later worked as an artist herself. The print belongs to the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and stands for private photography in artistic circles of the early twentieth century.
Impact
Because the sitter looks directly at the viewer, a sense of closeness and a personal tone arise. The calm, symmetrical layout and the warm sepia colouring give the portrait a dignified, timeless presence.
Technique
The image was made as a gelatin silver print, a process common around 1900 that allows subtle gradations of tone. The warm colour comes from toning the silver image, which also improves its permanence. A large-format camera was probably used, which explains the high level of detail.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)