Studio Potraits of Germaine Urtebise c. 1920 - 1925

This is René Lonthie’s studio portrait of Germaine Urtebise, probably made with a large format camera sometime in the early 20th century. What strikes me is the dress. It’s clearly the main event, and Germaine is almost incidental. It’s a big, romantic confection, full of taffeta, with that huge flower detail pulling your eye in. The eye travels over the crinkled surface, the play of light and shadow, losing itself in the textures. It’s interesting how the lighting and the angle flatten the image; it is sculptural, but captured as something quite linear. Lonthie’s portrait puts me in mind of other Belgian artists like James Ensor. There is something slightly gothic, and very theatrical about this photograph. It’s not just a portrait of a woman, it’s a character study, and a beautiful document of fashion, texture, and the art of constructing an image. Art is a conversation, and here, Lonthie speaks to and anticipates so many others.