Eleanor Brown McCune
1915
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1915
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This photo shows a woman sitting in a dimly lit room. She’s turned slightly away, her body relaxed but her posture still. The light hits her face from the side, leaving the rest of her in shadow. Her hair is pulled back, and she’s wearing a simple dress with a high neckline. The lighting here is soft, almost like a stage light. It focuses on her face while the background fades into darkness. This kind of lighting was often used to create mood or drama in photos. Next, check out chiaroscuro to see how artists used light and shadow this way.
![Unpublished illustration [Julia Hall McCune] for Clara Morris, "Beneath the Wrinkle"](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/a86e790489bcf254/thumb.webp)
