Portrait of Martine McCulloch 1910

Gertrude Kasebier made this photograph, called "Portrait of Martine McCulloch," sometime around the turn of the 20th century. It's an image of such soft focus and tonal warmth. When I look at this picture I imagine Kasebier, her face softened by the northern light in her studio, coaxing Martine into this pose. I mean, look at the subject's concentration. What is she looking at? Is it her own portrait? Or is it a picture of someone else entirely? The picture-within-a-picture is like a hall of mirrors. I’m reminded that we are always looking at images. Every gesture and every prop is so carefully considered. Kasebier was part of a movement that was working to get photography recognized as an art form. Looking at this, it's clear that photographers like Kasebier were in conversation with painters like Whistler and the Pre-Raphaelites, all artists thinking about beauty, intimacy, and representation. In this way artists are always inspiring one another’s creativity across time and space.