Jeanne 1912

Morton Schamberg made "Jeanne" with his camera, a tool that, like a painter's brush, captures light and shadow to create form. I think of Schamberg, behind the camera, coaxing this young sitter to stand still, perhaps telling her a story to ease her fidgeting. Jeanne, a little girl dressed in her finest winter clothes, gazes slightly off-center, maybe distracted by something in the room. The photograph is softly focused, with subtle gradations of tone that give it a painterly quality. It reminds me of the work of other early modern photographers who were exploring the artistic possibilities of the medium, like Alfred Stieglitz or Edward Steichen. The details in the girl's outfit – the fur trim on her hat, the buttons on her coat, the fringe on her skirt – are rendered with care, while the plain background keeps the focus on her presence. Artists are constantly in conversation with each other, even across different mediums. Schamberg's photograph invites us to consider the relationship between photography and painting, and how both can capture a sense of fleeting time and human presence.