Post-mortem print enhanced by Walery circa 1870

Large oval print enhanced with a post-mortem image, c. 1860

It is an elderly woman, sitting in a red velvet armchair, her eyes closed. She is wearing a black dress and her lace cap is encircled by a large blue ribbon.

Walery, Stanislaw Julian Ostroróg (1830–1890), is known for his portraits of personalities such as Queen Victoria or Victor Hugo.

Portrait photographers (like Disdéri, Nadar, or the Walerys) often retouched faces to erase wrinkles, add color to cheeks or lips, or dress models in painted clothes or accessories.

Photographs of recently deceased loved ones were part of 19th-century American and European culture. They allowed families to keep a visual memory of the deceased and contributed to the grieving process. They were a precious possession.