The Countess de Castiglione
Artist
Pierre-Louis Pierson
(French, 1822 - 1913)
Date1860s; printed ca. 1930
MediumGelatin silver print
DimensionsImage: 10 15/16 x 14 1/8 inches (27.78 x 35.88 cm)
Sheet: 10 15/16 x 14 1/8 inches (27.78 x 35.88 cm)
Sheet: 10 15/16 x 14 1/8 inches (27.78 x 35.88 cm)
Credit LineGift of the Hall Family Foundation
Object number2013.9.14
Signednone
InscribedWritten on back of sheet, upper left, in pencil "Csse de Castiglione"
Written on back of sheet, center, in pencil "98"
Written on back of sheet, right edge, in pencil "No 34 (268)"
Markingsnone
On View
Not on viewCollections
DescriptionProfile image of the Countess Castiglione dressed in an elaborate gown with a small child on the left edge of the frame and repeated again on the right.Gallery LabelStanding on a pedestal to display the enormity of her gown, the countess’s powdered white hair accentuates the ostrich feathers of her tilted hat. Every detail of her presentation is carefully considered for maximum effect, yet the extraneous details of Pierson’s studio are also in full view. Castiglione worked closely with Pierson, overseeing all aspects of the postproduction of her portraits, including cropping, enlarging, and hand coloring. This photograph—which features the odd repetition of the left side of the image on the right side—includes many details that would have later been removed from the final print.
Purchased from Vintage Works, Chalfort, PA by The Hall Family Foundation, Kansas City, MO, 2013;
Their gift to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 2013.
Their gift to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 2013.
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