Portret van Agar before 1877

This is a portrait of Agar by Carrette, of unknown date. Note how the image of Agar is perfectly centered within an oval frame, creating an immediate sense of balance and classical harmony. The composition is divided between two pages. On the left, text is densely packed, creating a sense of depth and contrast. On the right, the image of Agar is framed within an elaborate decorative border which integrates text, floral motifs and classical figures. Here, Carrette manipulates the relationship between figure and ground, text and image, representation and ornament. The portrait is presented not just as a likeness, but as a constructed image embedded within a semiotic field of signs. In the structuralist sense, the photograph and its surrounding ornamentation function as elements within a larger symbolic system, each influencing the other's meaning.