Victorian portrait
Stiff nineteenth-century likeness
A Victorian portrait is a photograph or painting from 19th-century Britain, characterized by formal poses, dark clothing, and somber expressions—partly due to long exposure times that made smiling impractical.
The stiff, unsmiling aesthetic has become iconic: She stood motionless as a Victorian portrait.
The term often describes anyone looking unnaturally rigid or grim in photographs.
- daguerreotypeFirst commercial photography method
- sepiaReddish-brown pigment
- laceOpen-weave ornamental fabric
- lace collarOrnamental neckwear of openwork fabric
- high collarRaised band encircling neck
corset · oval · frame · cameo · mourning · brooch · aristocrat · bustle · black dress · parasol · gentleman · parlor · velvet · ruffles · somber · formal · widow · post mortem
- portraitsheadshot, headshots, profile, profile picture, profile shot
- Victorian photographstintype, daguerreotype, ferrotype, sepia photo, faded photo
- Portrait Printsengraving, mezzotint, copper engraving, steel engraving, stipple
Victorian portraitsnapshot
Informal photograph taken quickly
street photography · action shot · photojournalism · documentary photography · stolen moment
Victorian, portrait, Victoria, Victoriana, victor, victory, victories, victorious, victoriously