In the photograph Everetta Bass Sitting in Rocking Chair Edward Bass depicted his one year old daughter, sitting in a chair on the front porch. Already at the first glance, one can understand the strong emotional coloration of the picture. The photographer isn’t trying to be unbiased, but rather makes his daughter stand out, demonstrating his strong affection for her.
Everetta Bass is depicted in the centre of the photograph, leaving the audience without any doubt about the main subject of the work. Her posture looks surprisingly mature and strongly resembles the position an adult would take. However, her laughing face and the moving rocking chair indicate the playful mood of the photograph. The dynamism of the scene captured in the picture creates a cheerful atmosphere, showing the innocent game of a child and the joy her father feels, when looking at her.
The background of the photograph serves well to convey its idea and create a setting for the main action. There is only a column with a flowerpot to remind us that the action is taking place on a porch and not in the open nature. The blurry lines of the trees behind, bright sunlight and the carpet texture, which reminds the grass, bent under the wind puff, create an almost unrealistic scene, the atmosphere of a fairytale, where Everetta is the main character.
Although a photograph captures only an instant of human life, the picture Everetta Bass Sitting in Rocking Chair by Edward Bass expresses much more than that. The joyful atmosphere, the love, with which the picture is filled, make the photograph look so alive, that it may seem that we will hear the laughter of the little girl and feel the soft breeze any minute. This ability to make such precious moments live forever, the gift to create photographs that look so real indicate the profound talent of the Edward Bass and the true art of photography.
Works Cited
"Edward A. Bass Biography." Wisconsin Historical Society, n.d. Web. 26 Apr 2011.
"Wisconsin Historical Images." Wisconsin Historical Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr 2011.
