[Silhouette of a Woman / A Maiden at Prayer]

Gertrude Käsebier may have intended this photograph of her daughter and namesake as a bridal portrait. Shown in a silhouetted profile and kneeling with her hands clasped in prayer, the younger Gertrude is framed by the balcony door, with the railing behind her simulating an ornate altar rail. The sunlight that flows in through the open door and gently bathes the room also glimmers through the veil covering her face and trailing down her back. The print's vertical cropping emphasizes the figure, more clearly defining her posture of prayer.