Trial Plate for Nine O'Clock A.M. - Theodore Roussel

Gift of Meg and Mark Hausberg

"Trial Plate for Nine O'Clock A.M." by Theodore Roussel (1919–20) Gelatin plate with incised lines and traces of red ink.

Commentary

"Trial Plate for Nine O'Clock A.M." by Theodore Roussel (1919–20) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. The photographic process puts light and timing at the center, so subtle shifts in tone ca rry much of the mood. Themes to notice include print. This piece is held in the source collection's Prints and Drawings collection. Theodore Roussel is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: Theodore Roussel French, worked in England, 1847-1926. The work is cataloged within a England cultural context. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as print, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Gelatin plate with incised lines and traces of red ink) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (17.6 × 12.2 cm (6 15/16 × 4 13/16 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include print. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/223675

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data