Lucy Clinetop 1869 - 1874

Editor: Here we have Jeremiah Gurney's photograph, "Lucy Clinetop," taken sometime between 1869 and 1874. The subject is posed somewhat scandalously on a chaise lounge. It’s daring and different from a lot of the portraits we see from that period. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It's an interesting juxtaposition, isn’t it? Consider the symbolism of the chaise lounge itself. Often associated with leisure, femininity, even illicit affairs in paintings. Here, in the relatively new medium of photography, the artist places Lucy upon this loaded symbol. Does this lend credence to the reading of scandal, or something else? Editor: That’s a good question. I just see a portrait of a performer relaxing. The costume seems pretty typical for a stage actress, maybe? Curator: Yes, exactly. So what is the artist implying about performers, then? Remember, at the time, acting wasn't seen as a particularly respectable profession for women. Perhaps Gurney's intention isn't scandal at all, but an attempt to legitimize or elevate her, using familiar tropes but subtly twisting them. She isn’t merely a 'fallen woman,' but a woman with agency in her profession, deliberately playing a part. Note the feather in her hair as a phallic symbol indicating the strength of her position and resolve. Editor: I hadn't considered how charged her reclining could be! And that bit about the feather too... I had thought that was merely decoration. Curator: Think about the cumulative effect. This photographic composition invites us to reconsider the meaning of display, power, and societal expectations that become a conversation we participate in still today. Editor: It is amazing how much can be communicated in what I thought was just an informal portrait! I’ll never look at another chaise lounge the same way.