unofficial blog for course ARCH243

Lehigh University
Art Architecture and Design
113 Research Drive
Building C
Bethlehem, PA 18015

Portrait 2

Humanizing the Past

[Eduard Käsebier and grandson Charles F. O’Malley]

1903

Gertrude Käsebier (American, 1852 – 1934)

I think that this is particularly intriguing and effective because it connects two very common types of portraits together in a new way. What I mean by this is you see often very serious portraits of older men in professional suits. You also see portraits of young children. Sometimes you might even see a family portrait. I have never seen a father and his young daughter in this style so broken in composition. It really breathes life and humility into the photo which I think was lost in many portraits of that time. 

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