[Nude with Mirror]

In France, daguerrotypes were used for both art and erotica. This tiny 19th-century daguerrotype is an erotic boudoir piece that is clearly voyeuristic. The model is looking not at the camera but into a hand mirror, creating the impression that she is enjoying a quiet moment of personal contemplation in the privacy of her room. Her room is cozy and dreamy. The softness and line of the drapes to the left as well as the vanity to the right frame the woman as she kneels in the center of her room. Her dress is hiked up to reveal her buttocks. The vanity mirror and the hand mirror seem to give the viewer permission to let their gaze linger on her bare shoulders, legs, and buttocks. In addition, the image is lightly hand-tinted to heighten the presence of the subject’s exposed flesh. The small photo is inset into a gilt mount and inserted in a compact case with a hinged cover, further highlighting its role as an object for private erotic contemplation.