Filles de Shanghai 1870s

Editor: This is Raimund von Stillfried's "Filles de Shanghai" from the 1870s, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It’s a photograph with delicate watercolour tints, and I'm immediately struck by its serene, almost wistful mood. What's your take? Curator: Wistful indeed! It whispers secrets of a world rapidly changing. Notice how the photograph flattens the space, almost like a stage? It transports me to a different era and, to be honest, makes me wonder about the power dynamics inherent in the gaze of a Western photographer capturing Chinese women. It's beautiful, yes, but also…loaded. Don't you think? Editor: Absolutely, the setting feels artificial, maybe staged. And I'm curious about their expressions. Are they really showing themselves or posing? Curator: Exactly! The artist offers a version of the Orient which titillates the West. Consider the clothes. Each woman, with varying garments of color and style, perhaps denoting her position in the household. They appear dignified and refined in presentation to western audience. Do you find yourself pondering this interplay of culture and gaze as well? Editor: Definitely. And the watercolour tinting—does that contribute to a sense of romanticizing the subject? Curator: Good eye! It softens the edges, creating an almost dreamlike effect, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. I think, it’s precisely in that ambiguity that the photograph holds its power, its allure, and its uncomfortable truths. What lingers most for you? Editor: It's the tension, the delicate balance between the beautiful image and the potential for misrepresentation. Curator: Agreed. It is the layered interpretation, which is why this photograph holds an enigmatic place for both of us.