The Silver Canvas - Daguerrotype Masterpieces (Art Photography Ebook)

T H E S I L V E R C A N V A S
PLATE 30
CHARLES WINTER
French (1821-1904)
Portrait of a Seated Man
About 1852
Half plate
84.xT.4037
THERE is NO ESCAPING the steady gaze of this French gentleman: he appears to be waiting patiently for an answer to a
question he recently posed. It seems as if we have been deep in conversation with him, a conversation still going on.
The daguerreotypist, Charles Winter of Strasbourg, has been able to suggest such a relationship between viewer and sitter
because he has arranged the sitter in a pose that makes him appear especially alert and engaging.
The intimate presence of this elegant man stems from the clarity Winter has given to the diagonal thrust of the
low chair, precisely setting out the depth the figure occupies by the contrast between the chair s highlighted side on the right
and its darker counterpart. The chair acts to encompass the sitter in this daguerreotype much in the way a niche in a wall
encompasses a free-standing sculpture.
Above the chair, the body's twist at the waist is strongly marked by the brilliant area of light centered on the mans
hands and the movement of his arm across his body, which leads us smoothly to the dark velvet collar below his face. The dark
coat enclosing the upper portion of his torso is gently set off from the plain background, but enough light falls upon it to
bring out its texture, making an area of the rich and deep tonality distinctive to the daguerreotype. The direction of his body
is further defined by the light caught along the buttons and the edge of the gentleman's coat.
The triple arcs made by the coat s velvet collar, the dark cravat, and the shirt s white collar all underscore the change
of direction the sitter s head has taken. Framed by his dark hair, his face is tilted, turned against the rising direction of his
torso and brought into the brightest area of light. Through this complex pose and skilled lighting, Charles Winter has provided
the sitter with a distinctive portrait, one of great strength and animation.
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