Sixth Plate

A CLIENT OF MINE . . . Examined the woman’s retaped sixth size dag and commented on the miraculous tinting. I casually mentioned that large striped scarf and the way the lady chose to wear it. The immediate comment that was elicited, “I wonder if she was pregnant”? That might explain her rather unusual fashion statement. And at her age, hee hee. Honestly, how old might the lass have been when her portrait, taken at mid-19th century, was executed? The hand coloring was expertly done and remarkably, when the whole leather case, with a bright red silk pad is opened, the pigments leap out before the subject’s subtle expression is even noticed. That appears to have been a rather thick embroidered cape the woman wore which suggests a chill in the air. Almost direct light from behind and above the camera bathed the sitter’s countenance. There are a few teeny brown dots in the dark drop. The true elegance of the surface is revealed when the image is seen in good light and the piece is rotated. The beauty of the myriad of hues is very impressive!