Musical accompaniment: Flowers on the Wall by the Statler Brothers

Check out this 1910 picture made by Frank Eugene. The woman in the picture is Frau Ludwig Von Hohlwein.

Before you read anymore, take a good look at the picture.

 

It reminds me of  very famous painting, le déjeuner sur l’herbe by Édouard Manet.

It’s been a long time since my art history days but I remember the imperfections of the girl in the foreground  and the mess on the ground were a scandal at the time. The fact only she was naked struck a strange note, but it would be okay if she was a flawless goddess. But she’s clearly not that.

I go back to Frank Eugene’s photograph, and  it appears similar in some ways: the expression on her face, the inglorious picture of the cat, the cluttered background, her casual posture  Do you think so too?

At the time, photographs were still a luxury. Wouldn’t a woman who could afford a very good photographer have been more particular about her environment and appearance? I think it is all purposeful but what is the message?