ABSTRACT
William Notman's Portraits of Children
Katharine J. Borcoman
1991
This study examines William Notman's portraits of
children, taken between 1856 and 1891 in the Montreal studio. The portraits were examined
in terms of their commercial origins, their relation to the painted portrait, the
iconography of the photographic portrait and the work of other portraitists. Single and
family portraits were included in the study. The analysis of the portraits reveals the
reliance of the nineteenth-century photographer on the conventions developed over the
centuries for the painted portrait and more particularly the iconographic influence of the
court portrait. The photographer adapted these conventions to suit the requirements of his
medium and his clients. Notman was concerned with the overall integrity of his
compositions; whether he chose a simple or elaborate setting, he achieved the desired
illusionary effect through his masterful use of light. In comparing the portraits of boys
and girls, the differences proved to be representative of the prevailing attitudes towards
males and females, with males generally posed less formally. Notman did not always make
this type of distinction, but he frequently included emblematic symbols in his portraits
that clearly identify the child as male or female. It is evident from the study that
Notman developed a personal style within the established traditions that continued to
evolve throughout his career. He was an accomplished photographer whose distinctive
approach to photography was so characteristic of the studio that the portraits of children
are a reflection of his formidable talent regardless of the probable involvement of staff
photographers.
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