Abstract
Virginia Oldoini, Countess of Castiglione, has been hailed as the original “queen of selfies” for her pioneering use of photography as a medium for self-expression and control. In a series of meticulously choreographed images, she transformed the photographic process into a site of excess and empowerment, reclaiming agency over her representation. By layering opulent garments, adorning herself with extravagant jewels, and juxtaposing these with minimalist backdrops, the Countess exploited the visual language of excess to challenge the confines of 19th-century societal norms. This study explores how the Countess’s photographs reimagine the “container”—what Luce Irigaray described as the conceptual and physical space designed by men to confine women. By designing and inhabiting her own visual “containers,” she subverted this narrative, asserting autonomy through her radical engagement with the photographic medium. Her deliberate manipulation of composition, mise-en-scène, and self-presentation blurred the lines between portraiture and performance, pushing the boundaries of how women could see and be seen. Through an analysis of her photographic practices, this study argues that her images are not merely exercises in vanity but acts of defiance. Her excess—whether in costume, pose, or expression—becomes a tool for reclaiming power in a medium traditionally used to objectify. By embracing photography’s performative and visual possibilities, the Countess crafted a legacy that speaks to modern questions of identity, representation, and agency in visual culture.
Presenters
Frances Di LauroAssociate Professor, English and Writing, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
VISUALITY, MULTIMODALITY, PHOTOGRAPHY, SELF-REPRESENTATION, PERCEPTION, PERFORMATIVITY
