Lister and Wells assert that context and the venue in which it a particular image is encountered by the viewer influences his/her interpretation of it. This photograph by Robert Doisneau was taken in 1948 post WW II Paris. It depicts a couple looking into an art gallery window. What is your interpretation of this photograph? Is there anything unusual/interesting about it? What? Why?
Sunday, October 19, 2008
An Oblique Glance
Lister and Wells assert that context and the venue in which it a particular image is encountered by the viewer influences his/her interpretation of it. This photograph by Robert Doisneau was taken in 1948 post WW II Paris. It depicts a couple looking into an art gallery window. What is your interpretation of this photograph? Is there anything unusual/interesting about it? What? Why?
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The setting of this photo is clearly on a street in the early 1900s. It is difficult to say what time period, but judging by the dress of the characters, it is clearly from some time ago. One can deduce that the people in looking at the painting are fairly well-off, as they are looking at paintings to buy in the first place. The street is probably a wealthy surrounding because it is unlikely that there would be a studio on a street where people could not afford to buy art. The way that the people dress also suggests that they are wealthy. The fact that they are also looking at the art in the middle of the day, when the streets are not so busy implies that the man does not have to be at work, although this is a very bold assumption. I think that the name of the shop behind the people in the photo is French, which could mean that this is a French photograph.
The photograph by Robert Doisneau portrays a couple looking into an art gallery window. The photo was taken after World War II, in 1948, in Paris. When I looked at the couple’s faces, I noticed that the man was not focusing on the same painting as his partner was. The man’s focus is directed towards a painting of a nude woman’s backside. France during World War II experienced colonial struggles between Vichy France and the Free French Forces. The Free French Forces were established by Charles de Gaulle. It is possible that Robert Doisneau, the photographer, looked to show how there were many different viewpoints during this time in France, and as a result many struggles. Although it is a black and white photograph, I noticed that the woman in the painting is wearing only black socks, where as the woman peering into the window of the photograph is wearing a black jacket and black gloves. I do not know what this would imply, but it is interesting.
As I looked at this photograph I thought it was somewhat amusing. The woman is looking at a painting in an art gallery and seems to be trying to tell her husband something about the painting. Whether or not he is listening is questionable because he is looking at the painting of a woman wearing only knee high stockings facing away in the painting. The photographer is taking something from everyday life and making it amusing and pointing out the humor in small situations. This painting is post WWII and in France, they needed something to keep up their spirits. The country was destroyed and the people could find humor in this photo. The photographer obviously was aware of this fact that his fellow citizens needed something to laugh at.
When I first saw this photograph, I thought it was somewhat humorous and that the photographer’s purpose was to raise a smile on all of his viewers. The photograph is titled an “Oblique Glance,” and it is by the French Photographer Robert Doisneau. The title of the picture indicates the photographer’s entertaining and witty focus. The picture is of a couple looking into the window of an antique shop that has numerous portraits in it. The camera is hidden out of sight behind the window and as a result it offers an amusing aspect to the work because it shows the exchange of looks between the two characters. When looking at the image, one will notice the dress of the individuals in the picture. In the background, you can see how the young boys where short slacks and winter jackets. Also, the way the couple dresses offers information pertaining to post World War II Paris. The social history or context of the photograph greatly affects the way viewers perceive its contents.
Erica Ellermeyer
In response to Patrick, I agree with you that the photo was taken after World War II in Paris, France. I also noticed that the two figures looking in the window are focused on different paintings. The dress of the figures in the photograph may help indicate the struggles that post WWII France might have endured during this time period. When looking at the photograph today, viewers need to be aware of the social history of the picture in order to truly understand the author’s purpose.
Erica Ellermeyer
I initially did not recognize the humor in this late 1940’s black and white photograph by Robert Doisneau. At first glance, the viewer might recognize, what appears to be, a middle-aged couple observing paintings in a gallery, while walking down the street. The clothes they are wearing show the weather, and help set the scene. After focusing a little more on the details, lighting and facial expressions of the characters, I noticed that there was a lot more to the photo than what I initially had seen. The woman and man are looking at different paintings. The one the woman is looking at, the viewers cannot see, but the framing of it is lighter and draws the viewer’s attention. The direction the male is looking at has a lot of light focused on it. The painting the male is looking at is diagonally across from him, and therefore the audience can see it. The nude body in the photo is white, and it completely contrasts the majority of the dark in the photograph. The body stands out, and draws the attention of the audience. The background is blurry, so that the main focus is on the couple and the nude painting. The expressions that the couple has on their faces are different as well. While the man looks as though he is enjoying the painting, the woman does not.
This photo clearly depicts a couple looking into an art gallery window alongside a street. Being a black and white photograph it is
evident that it was taken a while ago when color was not yet portrayed in photographs. It seems as if they Europe more particularly Paris during the 1940's. The interesting aspect of this photo lies in that fact that the couple is looking at different
photographs. The woman is looking at a photo that is not shown to the audience while the man is looking at a photograph of a nude women’s backside. The women looks like she is in deep discussion with her husband and he seems to be distracted by the image of the women. From there clothing one can infer that they are well off and certainly have the money to buy the photos.
In response to Pat I thought your interpretation of the photograph
was interesting. The impression you got that the photo implied
struggles seems valid due to the fact that there seems to be some
struggle between the couple depicted in the photo. Additionally, the interpretation of the black images is interesting and was not something I noticed in the first glance of the photo.
In this photo by Robert Doisneau there is a dynamic relationship between the man, the nude picture on the opposing wall, and the viewer. As Reading Context points out these three components make a triangle and this triangle gives life to the picture. The woman in the photograph is looking at a picture the viewer cannot see. The man standing next to her presumably is her husband or some has some relation to her, is looking at the nude picture on the adjacent wall. The woman appears not to notice the face that he is looking at the picture and she seems genuinely intrigued by the picture she is looking at. The man on the other hand, seems to be covertly looking at the nude picture. He doesn’t want the woman he is with, presumably his wife, to notice that he is looking at the picture. He seems to be pretending to look at the same picture that has drawn her attention.
This photograph by Robert Doisneau is a comical piece depicting a couple looking into an art gallery. It is comical because of the sly glance the man is giving the provocative picture while the woman is observing the other most likely less scandalous picture. The woman is trying to tell the man something but he is obviously not paying attention. This photograph was taken post WWII in Paris, France at a time when overall French moral. This is shown by the style of clothing and the french shop in the backround.
A little late... but better late than never. The photo from the essay in Reading Context is simply two people admiring art from outside a gallery or art store in France first glance. We can assume they are in France becasue the writing on the store across the street is in French. After looking closer I realized there is a painting of a naked woman who had grabbed the attention of the man featured in the photo while his significant other is preoccupied with another paint. The photo is certainly a work of art because it provoke emotion; humor. The title oblique glance I thought referred to the couple window shopping but it really refers to the man being caught red-handed admiring the female in the other painting. Because the photo took place post WW II Paris, the photographer who captured this moment may have been aiming to bring humor into the live of people living in the era.
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