Portret van Thérésa before 1883

Curator: The work we're looking at is titled "Portret van Thérésa," a photograph that existed as a print, dating from before 1883 and attributed to Wilhelm Benque. My immediate impression is this staged formality that also feels slightly... performative? Editor: Yes! It's so interesting to see what gets memorialized. Her pose, especially that raised hand, immediately reads to me as invoking the muses, a classic symbol of artistic inspiration and creative agency, very deliberately signaling that this isn't just a photograph but a *statement.* And of course, the context is vital here, this image within the pages of Paris-Artiste, signaling something to a specific cultural elite. Curator: That gesture, the arm raised almost in greeting... or perhaps blessing? She presents herself so self-assuredly within the newsprint medium, juxtaposing the 'serious' news alongside this theatrical self-portrait. Editor: Absolutely, think of the print as the artifact itself. It really speaks to a kind of late 19th-century celebrity culture – this image would have been circulated, consumed, maybe even clipped out and displayed separately. It shows an interesting negotiation between fine art, journalism and publicity. Curator: There's almost a tongue-in-cheek playfulness to that, isn't there? Like she's winking at the viewer even through the ostensibly rigid constraints of formal portraiture. A woman who clearly knows how to leverage the burgeoning power of the image. It's an art-nouveau style that lends to a timeless quality as well. Editor: Agreed. Her costume too--is that meant to evoke something Grecian? It’s draped, ornate in a way that mixes very conventional with very, "Look at me!". Benque has placed her against a flat background allowing all these other layers to show without fighting with distracting elements. Curator: Ultimately, isn't that the power of art, especially portraiture? To create a persona, to suggest narratives beyond what we see on the surface. And sometimes, that wink is all the context we really need. Editor: Indeed, leaving us with just enough crumbs to go look for a great and complex story from Thérésa.