An American bison before 1886

This is J. Fortuné Nott’s photograph of ‘An American Bison.’ The image is defined by strong tonal contrasts that articulate the animal's weighty mass, its dark form juxtaposed against the pale backdrop. Nott has tightly framed the subject, with the animal filling the pictorial space almost entirely. The bison is not simply presented but staged, and the backdrop of the wooden palings adds a layer of artifice that invites a closer look at the relationship between representation and reality. The photograph's very construction serves as a sign, an invitation to interpret the image not just as a depiction of an animal, but as a study in form and visual texture. Consider how the monochrome flattens the bison into a series of shapes and lines, challenging our preconceptions. It invites us to move beyond the subject matter and consider the broader questions of representation, perception, and the cultural codes we use to interpret images.