[The Opera Ball] 1861 - 1910

Curator: This photograph, entitled [The Opera Ball], was taken by Pierre-Louis Pierson sometime between 1861 and 1910. It's currently housed here at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: The subject has her back to the viewer, draped in an enormous fur-lined coat. The overall mood is, I would say, unsettling. The composition is quite striking in its almost aggressive lack of face. Curator: Note the mirroring effect, how the indistinct reflection reveals a seated, draped nude, while the living, breathing model remains obscured. The very absence of the face directs us to contemplate her societal role as both a real person and the muse figure present in the looking glass. Editor: Interesting that you note the muselike depiction of the nude woman, but the positioning is undeniably strange. This isn't the male gaze depicting a languid, compliant model, but a photograph in which the female subject seemingly chooses to withhold herself from the viewer. It presents themes of access and representation with surprising frankness. Curator: Agreed. One might also explore the textures, juxtaposing the yielding, mutable curves of the back with the precise architecture of the fur. See, for instance, the precise way the folds of the heavy silk cape descend, offering a stark contrast to the organic fur trim. Editor: And the darkness of the reflection contrasts greatly against the material world. This fur and the shine of the silk speak to privilege, even as the anonymous figure points to the subjugation of women's bodies at the opera and within the social hierarchy. Curator: A powerful combination of elements for Pierson to have orchestrated. Editor: Absolutely, and an image that really demands more thought, rather than giving it up easily.