Sam Barkley, 2nd Base, Pittsburgh, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

Editor: So, here we have "Sam Barkley, 2nd Base, Pittsburgh," an albumen print from 1887 by Goodwin & Company, plucked from the Old Judge Cigarettes series. What strikes me is how formally posed it is; he's like a statue caught mid-swing. What are your initial thoughts when you examine the visual structure of this print? Curator: The image's success rests significantly on its interplay of light and shadow. Note how the artist employs chiaroscuro to sculpt Barkley's form, lending him a solidity that contrasts with the soft background. Observe too the orthogonals formed by the ground meeting the backdrop – do they resolve neatly, or is there a subtle disjunction that complicates the image's spatial logic? Editor: I hadn't considered the backdrop so closely, I see how it could have conflicting interpretations. What effect is created by framing a commercial item as art, as indicated in the choice to capture an albumen print of an athlete rather than focusing on another typical 19th-century portraiture? Curator: The composition subtly disrupts conventional portraiture. Consider the golden ratio. Is the subject's placement accidental, or is it deliberately calibrated to exploit, or perhaps subvert, classical ideals of proportion and harmony? Ask yourself also whether the subject's gaze engages us directly, or is it averted, lost in contemplation or perhaps mere advertising presentation? Editor: The gaze seems like an aspect that makes the photo feel almost clinical in the sense of how the portrait is positioned to face us with minimal emotional impact. Curator: Precisely. So, in what ways might we decode the semiotics of this sporting icon through rigorous formalism? Editor: Looking at the form devoid of context definitely reveals subtleties within the piece. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure. It’s been beneficial to reconsider this piece outside of any specific social context.