Husband and Wife
1862
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1862
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Husband and Wife is a 1862 by Unknown, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
A man and woman sit stiffly side by side, their faces blank, hands clasped tight. Their clothes are dark and plain, the background a flat gray. Most portraits from the 1860s show serious faces—smiling was hard when photos took minutes to expose. The woman’s grip looks painful, like she’s holding on for dear life. It’s an awkward moment frozen in time. If you want to see more early American photos like this, look up *subject: america*.
You rarely see a smiling portrait from the mid-19th century. Having your photograph taken was a serious and rare endeavor, plus it was difficult to hold any animated expression long enough for the exposure times required by the early processes. Sitters were instructed to find ways to keep from moving, such as clasping their hands. The woman here has taken the photographers’ cautions to an extreme, resulting in a tense and unflattering portrait.
In the early decades of photography, many people did not know how to pose for the camera.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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