Portret van een zittende Indonesische vrouw 1857 - 1880

Editor: This is "Portret van een zittende Indonesische vrouw," a photograph taken sometime between 1857 and 1880 by Woodbury & Page, now housed in the Rijksmuseum. The details in her garments are captivating, especially how they contrast with the plain background and ornate furniture. How do you read this photograph from a formalist perspective? Curator: It is crucial to observe how Woodbury & Page meticulously structured this portrait through strategic deployments of light and texture. Notice how the even lighting washes out the background, which flattens the pictorial space. Now observe how her textured garments direct the viewer's gaze from the sleeves across the torso down to the feet, which grounds her firmly in the composition. These effects, while subtle, reinforce the photograph's compositional unity. Do you observe how the edges of her robe lead into the floral details on the cushion that her right hand rests on? Editor: Yes, I do. It almost appears to me that this visual choice brings the viewer into the work by leading us through this circular device. Curator: Precisely! The semiotic dimensions inherent in her seated pose and relatively simple clothing can reveal codes and values. Consider also the tonal range present in the work and how the photographer exploits shadow and form to highlight specific details and mask out those elements the photographer believes unimportant. The semiotics, structural deployment, and philosophical underpinnings that guide Woodbury & Page underscore a concerted desire to elevate the sitter formally. Editor: Thank you. I am starting to see the photo through its formal elements alone. Curator: Indeed. The formal elements allow us to study the intrinsic value and aesthetic achievement presented by Woodbury & Page, aside from the identity or circumstances of the sitter. Editor: I will now try to analyze photographic portraits through these strategies. Thank you.