carte-de-visite photograph

R Wingfield

Summary

Full length studio portrait of an old woman against a plain white background. The floor appears dappled and the edge of a rug may be visible in the lower right hand corner of the image. The photograph may show the woman in mourning. Her hair is arranged in a centre parting with ringlets on either side and is covered by a frilled bonnet decorated at the front with three floral motifs and a veil of delicate black lace pulled back from the face. The bonnet is fastened under the woman's chin with a large pale coloured ribbon tied in a bow. The woman is wearing a long, voluminous black silk paletot trimmed along the shoulders, edges and sleeves with black lace. Beneath this she is wearing a black silk dress with a crinoline and full skirt. The woman is also wearing black leather gloves and white lace cuffs and her hands are arranged carefully on top of one another in front of her body. Although the woman's pose is frontal she tilits her head to the right creating a slightly strange impression. It is also interesting to note that the woman's feet and lower edge of her dress are cropped by the lower edge of the photograph.