From 30 October to 25 January 2026, the Museum of Romanticism presents an exhibition curated by Stéphany Onfray featuring an exquisite selection of calling cards, portraits and objects linked to 19th-century photography culture, offering a fresh perspective on the photographic studio as a space of expression and freedom for women.
At a time when photography reflected the values and norms of the rising bourgeoisie, the protagonists of these images knew how to defy conventions, transforming the act of posing into a form of creation and resistance.
Women Portrayed looks back at the active role of women as creators, collectors and spectators, claiming their contribution to the technical and artistic development of the new medium. The exhibition revolves around the theme of the “dressing room,” a private space found in the most prestigious studios, where women could prepare and experiment with their appearance before being photographed. This intimate space, halfway between the private and the public sphere, is revealed as a symbolic territory of female autonomy and creativity.
Image credits:
'Portrait of Two Women', by the Studio of Fernando and Anaïs Napoleón
