Child with Mysterious Minder
SOLD March 2007 |
French quarter plate daguerreotype of a cute infant by Jean Victor Andrieux, Paris, ca. 1854, with a mysterious minder (partially removed) in the background. Housed in a period oval wood frame, overall dimensions of frame 6.25 x 5.5 inches (16x14 cm), with original photographer's label attached to reverse backing paper.
Behind the child in this image a female minder can be discerned, her mouth set in grim determination. I would guess that she is a studio minder, used to assist in keeping children still during the photographic process. After the image was taken efforts were made to make her blend into the background by carefully scraping the brighter areas of her image from the plate. This partial removal of the image appears to have been done in the photographers studio and is rather skillful, considering the fragility of the daguerreotype plate. Her hands, which hold the child in position, have been left unaltered.
The plate is overall in fine condition, with a few areas of silver chipping at the edges, in the area under the paper seal.
In addition to a hand inscription which cannot be easily read, but appears to end in "1854", the label reads:
"Ci-devant Place du Carrousel de du Palais Royal / Andrieux / Peintre en Miniature / Portraits au Daguerreotype / sur Plaque et sur Papier de toutes Dimensions / Rue Rivoli, No. 65 - pres la rue de la Monnaie."
