' Melancholic Tulip' 1939

This is one of my favourite still life images. Kertesz transforms a regular still life object into an extraordinary composition, projecting an emotive atmosphere, causing the tulip to appear for me, as a
metaphor of a human being, implying the transitional process of life. This image could also be symbolic of the death of Kertesz’s wife whom he lost to cancer.
As the title suggests, the image emerges feelings of melancholy and sadness, reflecting the shape of the drooping tulip. The lighting causes there to be contrast yet still maintaining the gentle grey tones. I feel that the contrast is a symbol of the melancholy and the gentle tones represent the delicacy and vulnerability of the tulip itself, and therefore the person (possibly his wife) for whom is it a metaphor.
The overall mood of this photograph is undeniably solemn, however the gentle tones and delicacy of the print emerge feelings of peacefulness and serenity. For me, it conveys the message that everything eventually comes to an end. Although this is a sad concept, it’s natural and therefore has a sense of comfort. It may not necessarily represent the end of life, but could also be symbolic of specific low times in someone’s life, or a loss of something important to them. The tulip still maintains its beauty despite the fact that it’s gradually coming to the end of its life, increasing the empathy felt by the viewer towards the tulip which could be symbolic of an event in their own life.
For me, every aspect of this photograph - from the contrast, lighting to the darkroom manipulation is symbolic of a particular idea in order to convey a preferred reading from Kertesz to the viewer.
For me, every aspect of this photograph - from the contrast, lighting to the darkroom manipulation is symbolic of a particular idea in order to convey a preferred reading from Kertesz to the viewer
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