Women, Gender Identities, and “Surrogate Photography” in 19th Century Spain
Presentation Type
Presentation
Start Date
8-3-2025 9:20 AM
Description
Dr. Stéphany Onfray, Independent Photography Researcher, Spain
Women, Gender Identities, and “Surrogate Photography” in 19th Century Spain
From an early period, photography stood out in popular culture as a democratic tool, an ally of modernity, capable of providing new means of representation to the humblest strata of the population. However, the importance that the medium had in shaping gender roles in the 19th century has been much less frequently emphasized.
Photography blurred the boundaries between the sexes, leading to the acquisition of new capacities for action for women. Whether in front of or behind the camera, women redefined their place in the world and transformed into protagonists. They gained access to a means of expression whose reach was not limited to the private sphere, but became a catalyst for a new feminine subjectivity, increasingly oriented towards the construction of contemporary society.
Nevertheless, the benefits of the “enthusiasm” that women felt for photography were also important for the medium’s own expansion. To continue overlooking the fundamental role they played in its technical, social, cultural, and artistic development is to leave aside one of the most relevant aspects of its history, as both elements reflect an analogous struggle against a constantly changing world, especially concerned with the search for a new social order.
In this communication, we propose to detail and illustrate the extent of the relationship that existed between women and photography in the second half of 19th century Spain, offering another view of the beginnings of a connection that they maintained with the camera, not so much as photographers, but as subjects, collectors, or simple consumers.
Through the analysis of the overall visual culture of the time, and expanding this aspect to other European nations, we will seek to introduce an intermediate figure between the model, considered as a mere object dependent on the photographer’s desires, and the female photographer, responsible for all technical control. We will see how, by shaping their own image through what we called a “surrogate representation” (with the involvement of a third party), women challenged conventions and began to be part of an artistic and social dialogue that redefined gender boundaries.
Doctor in Art History from the Complutense University of Madrid, Stéphany Onfray is dedicated to photographic research. Her academic career, carried out between France and Spain, culminated in a thesis on ""Women and Photography in 19th Century Spain"", pending publication by the publishing house Cátedra (March 2025). She focuses on exploring the complex relationship that women established with the photographic image—whether as photographers, collectors, or subjects—analyzing the strategies they employed to turn an ideological and political medium into an expressive and personal window. Since 2015, Stéphany Onfray has contributed to the academic field with several publications on the History of Photography. She has also participated as a lecturer in numerous national and international conferences and has collaborated with Spanish and French institutions.
Relational Format
Conference proceeding
Recommended Citation
Onfray, Stéphany, "Women, Gender Identities, and “Surrogate Photography” in 19th Century Spain" (2025). Women of Photography: A 24-Hour Conference-a-thon Celebrating International Women’s Day 2025. 27.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/womenofphotography/2025/schedule/27
Women, Gender Identities, and “Surrogate Photography” in 19th Century Spain
Dr. Stéphany Onfray, Independent Photography Researcher, Spain
Women, Gender Identities, and “Surrogate Photography” in 19th Century Spain
From an early period, photography stood out in popular culture as a democratic tool, an ally of modernity, capable of providing new means of representation to the humblest strata of the population. However, the importance that the medium had in shaping gender roles in the 19th century has been much less frequently emphasized.
Photography blurred the boundaries between the sexes, leading to the acquisition of new capacities for action for women. Whether in front of or behind the camera, women redefined their place in the world and transformed into protagonists. They gained access to a means of expression whose reach was not limited to the private sphere, but became a catalyst for a new feminine subjectivity, increasingly oriented towards the construction of contemporary society.
Nevertheless, the benefits of the “enthusiasm” that women felt for photography were also important for the medium’s own expansion. To continue overlooking the fundamental role they played in its technical, social, cultural, and artistic development is to leave aside one of the most relevant aspects of its history, as both elements reflect an analogous struggle against a constantly changing world, especially concerned with the search for a new social order.
In this communication, we propose to detail and illustrate the extent of the relationship that existed between women and photography in the second half of 19th century Spain, offering another view of the beginnings of a connection that they maintained with the camera, not so much as photographers, but as subjects, collectors, or simple consumers.
Through the analysis of the overall visual culture of the time, and expanding this aspect to other European nations, we will seek to introduce an intermediate figure between the model, considered as a mere object dependent on the photographer’s desires, and the female photographer, responsible for all technical control. We will see how, by shaping their own image through what we called a “surrogate representation” (with the involvement of a third party), women challenged conventions and began to be part of an artistic and social dialogue that redefined gender boundaries.
Doctor in Art History from the Complutense University of Madrid, Stéphany Onfray is dedicated to photographic research. Her academic career, carried out between France and Spain, culminated in a thesis on ""Women and Photography in 19th Century Spain"", pending publication by the publishing house Cátedra (March 2025). She focuses on exploring the complex relationship that women established with the photographic image—whether as photographers, collectors, or subjects—analyzing the strategies they employed to turn an ideological and political medium into an expressive and personal window. Since 2015, Stéphany Onfray has contributed to the academic field with several publications on the History of Photography. She has also participated as a lecturer in numerous national and international conferences and has collaborated with Spanish and French institutions.
Comments
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