Lady in Flowered Dress

David Octavius Hill

This has been speculated to be an image of David O. Hill’s future wife, the Scottish sculptor Amelia Paton. Though they didn’t marry until 1864 it is likely they were involved in the same circles, as both were pioneers in the Modernist Scottish arts scene. In this image, a fashionable young woman sits in a beam of light in an otherwise darkened room, a slight smile on her face. She wears classic Victorian era dress with a patterned shift laced over a stiff corset, featuring a pattern of ferns - which were all the rage in the mid 19th century.

Hill captures a quiet moment and makes sure the light is coming from above, in a nearly saint-like portrait. Her tightly set hair, cheekbones and brow, the white shawl, and her hands are softly illuminated. The image is intimate and admiring, as if the artist was enthralled with his subject.

This photogravure, from the calotype, was printed by J. Craig Annan (864-1946) and precedes the Camerawork publication.