Portrait Gallery

This is a portrait of James Cagney found in the National Portrait Gallery. The photographer framed the subject very tightly, so the subject is is main focus of the picture, like most portraits. The photographer went with a very contrasted picture, which accents the emotion of the subject in the photo. Using lighting, the subject's face becomes very prominent and is very dramatic along with the darkness surrounding the subject.

This photo captures James Cagney looking quite serious. Whether this photo is posed or not, the emotion is there, and easily conveyed to the viewer. The photo is especially striking because it seems so simple, but as one dissects the elements, the complexities become quite evident. The piece is attractive because of this.