David Maitland Makgill Crichton, Rankeillour 1843 - 1847

This photographic print of David Maitland Makgill Crichton was made by Hill and Adamson, sometime between 1843 and 1848. The image's reversed tonality creates a striking visual paradox. The subject’s face is cast in shadow while his clothing is brightly illuminated, challenging conventional portraiture. This inversion of light and dark draws attention to the photograph’s materiality, reminding us that it is both an image and an object. The composition, with its tight focus and shallow depth of field, brings Crichton into sharp relief. The print unsettles the viewer's expectations of representation, prompting questions about the nature of photographic truth. Photographs like this invite ongoing interpretation. They function not just aesthetically but also as part of a larger cultural and philosophical discourse.