Self portrait with Children, 1947
Vintage gelatin silver print
8 ¼ × 9 in
Stamped and titled on verso
Nov 18, 2024,
This self portrait by Annemarie Heinrich uses spatial distortion to present a wealth of visual information. The inclusion of the child's profile in the top of the frame introduces a poetic element to the work—the young boy seems to be gazing down at the scene, yet with his eyes closed, as if it's a dream in his mind.
Reflective gazing balls were first produced in 13th century Venice by artisan glass blowers, and since the invention of the camera they have been a popular device for photography. They may hold a particular appeal for photographers for the way that their reflective surfaces are like a more dramatic version of the distortion created by wide angle camera lenses, bending the reflection of the surrounding environment onto their convex surface and, in so doing, bringing more of it into view.
Annemarie Heinrich was born in Germany in 1912 and emigrated to Argentina with her family in 1926, where she devoted herself to a lifelong career in photography. By including both her children and her camera equipment in this self portrait, she seems to encapsulate both her domestic and creative spheres in the image. The resulting picture speaks to the dual roles that many important female 20th century artists performed, as they balanced their expected duty of child care with their artistic pursuits, in this case creating a vision where the two worlds are intertwined.
