Capri_ Two little girls under a vine arbour c. 1890 - 1900

Editor: This is a photographic piece titled "Capri, Two little girls under a vine arbour", dated around 1890-1900, artist not listed, crafted with gelatin silver print on paper. It looks like three theatrical scenes of women performing, all mounted on one piece of paper. The women are styled in unique clothing that alludes to classic or stage garments, lending a story-telling quality. What's your take? Curator: Oh, absolutely! My mind leaps to archetypes. They appear staged with intent, perhaps representing various character types from classical stories or operas. See how the women are deliberately posed? Perhaps it’s a tableau vivant – a living picture so popular at the time. They’re each trapped in their tiny narrative cell. Don't you wonder about the story they’re trying to tell us, and why they can't escape? Editor: I do. The starkness makes them seem more separate than together, even though they share this frame. Are you thinking the photographer meant to juxtapose them in this way? Curator: Absolutely, or more accurately perhaps to create an inventory of identities and perhaps desires? Like specimens in a jar, they each embody something. Do you see it too? Editor: Definitely. I was too focused on the individuals. Thinking of it as an examination, a taxonomy, adds a layer of unsettling detachment that I hadn't noticed at first. Curator: Isn’t it amazing how a simple shift in perspective can change the entire narrative? Art constantly reinvents itself as we reinvent ourselves. Editor: I’ll remember that. Thanks for guiding me!