Mlle. Aubry, from the Actresses series (N203) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

Editor: Here we have a print from 1889 by Wm. S. Kimball & Co., “Mlle. Aubry, from the Actresses series,” currently housed at the Met. It's a beautiful photographic portrait, yet something about her downcast gaze feels melancholic. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see echoes of Japonisme, a fascination with Japanese aesthetics that swept through Western art. The actress’s posture, head tilted down as if contemplating the ephemerality of beauty represented by the roses, echoes a popular motif within Ukiyo-e prints. Consider the rose, universally known as a signifier for beauty, yet here, it appears to be slightly faded. Editor: Faded, yes, they're not in full bloom! That’s an interesting connection. I hadn't considered how the roses speak to fleeting beauty and the nature of performance. Curator: Precisely! These actresses were icons, their images widely circulated. Consider how tobacco cards became a vehicle for distributing and consuming idealized images of women, contributing to their fame, but also potentially, commodifying their personas. Do you notice how the textures in her dress and sleeves create a surface design? Editor: Yes, it’s ornate but in a subtle, almost muted way. I’m wondering, could this elaborate costuming and melancholy expression be linked to the symbolism and unspoken narratives surrounding women performers at the time? Curator: A fascinating inquiry. Think about the complex societal expectations placed on these women. How might those burdens be reflected in such a carefully staged portrait? What do we, viewing this portrait generations later, project onto her? Editor: I now appreciate how a simple portrait can reveal such complex layers of cultural memory, expectations, and symbolic meaning. Curator: Indeed, each viewing unearths fresh layers of understanding within art that acts as a visual symbol.