Lieutenant General Sir J.L. Pennefather, K.C.B. 1855

Roger Fenton made this albumen print of Lieutenant General Sir J.L. Pennefather, K.C.B., sometime in the 19th century. Fenton was one of the first war photographers, and Pennefather was a celebrated figure in the Crimean War. Consider what it means to memorialize a man of war through the relatively new medium of photography. What does it mean to sit for a portrait when your position is predicated on movement and action? There’s a stillness and a gravity in Pennefather’s pose, which evokes the weight of military service. The photograph also invites us to consider the power dynamics inherent in portraiture, particularly when depicting figures of authority. It begs the question: how does Fenton’s lens mediate our understanding of Pennefather’s identity? Fenton’s work invites us to reflect on the narratives of heroism and sacrifice that are often constructed around military figures, while also prompting us to consider the human cost of war.