Twee portretten van Johan Knutsen Nutti en John Johnsen Nutti before 1880

These two portraits of Johan Knutsen Nutti and John Johnsen Nutti were made by Paolo Mantegazza, but the date is unknown. The sepia tones and the symmetrical layout across the open book create a sense of formal, almost scientific, observation. Each portrait is tightly framed, focusing solely on the individuals, with the subjects captured in posed yet relaxed attitudes. The upper figure's cradled position contrasts with the more supine posture of the figure below. Mantegazza's choice to present these portraits in a paired format invites a comparative analysis, almost as specimens within a study. Consider the implications of Mantegazza, an Italian anthropologist, capturing these images. What semiotic codes are at play when images are taken out of their original cultural context and displayed for scientific scrutiny? The formal arrangement of these images encourages viewers to decode the aesthetic and cultural biases inherent in scientific documentation.