The Way (Sebastian Droste) from the portfolio Francis Bruguiere Portfolo, 7
Francis Joseph Bruguière, American, 1879 - 1945
about 1923-1925
Gelatin silver print
Image: 9 1/2 × 7 5/16 in. (24.2 × 18.5 cm)
Mount: 17 1/16 × 14 7/16 in. (43.3 × 36.7 cm)
Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth: Gift of Caroline Steiner
PH.986.85.1.7
Geography
Place Made: United States, North America
Period
20th century
Object Name
Photograph
Research Area
Photograph
Not on view
Label
Two young men stand fully in their queerness. Through make- up and clothing, they present themselves as femmes boldly to the world. Droste, a bisexual actor in Weimar Germany wraps himself in brocade, dons thick eyeliner, and leans into a mirror, multiplying his image and amplifying the sensuality of his pose. Oskar, a gay fashion student in Chicago also rings his eyes in heavy liner, wears subtle jewelry, and androgynous clothing; he looks towards the camera with a powerful gaze and unquestionable confidence in his presentation. These photos were taken almost 100 years apart, and yet reflect the cyclical nature of history. While the 1920s and 2020s have both been periods in our history of expanding understandings of sexual and gender expression, they have also been moments impacted by pandemics, war, economic upheaval, and a rising authoritarianism that seeks to oppress difference—periods of both freedom and risk. From the 2022 exhibition Femme is Fierce: Femme Queer Gender Performance in Photography, curated by Alisa Swindell, Associate Curator of Photography
Course History
WGST 65, Queer Visual Culture, Gabriele Dietze, Winter 2014
SART 30.01/SART 75.01, Photography II/III, Eva O'Leary, Fall 2022
WGSS 10.01, Sex, Gender, and Society, Francine A'Ness, Fall 2022
Writing Program 5.25, Photographic Representations, Amanda Wetsel, Winter 2023
Writing Program 5.24, Photographic Representations, Amanda Wetsel, Winter 2023
Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 2.01, Introduction to Queer Studies, Eng-Beng Lim, Winter 2023
Exhibition History
Femme is Fierce: Femme Queer Gender Performance in Photography, Class of 1967 gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, October 1-December 17, 2022.
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