Research Paper: Lucia Chase

Art Research Paper: Lucia Chase by Maurice Seymour
The piece of artwork I have chosen to discuss for my Art Research Paper is a photograph by Maurice Seymour (1900-1993). The picture below is of Lucia Chase in the Broadway show Les Sylphides in 1940. I found this photograph in the virtual exhibit from the Library of Congress about the American Ballet Theatre. The photograph depicts Lucia Chase in costume for the play, where a poet dances with fairies in woodlands. Photographs capture moments in time, and this photo captures Lucia Chase, (1907-1986) co-founder and ballerina for the American Ballet Theatre, in her costume for one of the many ballets she danced in. It captures the peacefulness on Lucia’s face, and she seems content with herself. Her smile is small, but it

The lines in the photograph are created by the edges of Lucia Chase herself. The shape of Lucia Chase’s face is narrow and straight, like a regal statue. The black and white filter of the photo make Lucia stand out, with the negative space from the grey background allows the subject to stand out. The first thing you notice when you see Lucia is her face because the light hits her eye. All of these things bring Lucia to the viewer’s attention. In the 1940’s when this photo was taken, people went to the theatre all the time. Televisions were still relatively new, so more people went to see people perform. Lucia Chase helped create the American Ballet Theatre, an organization that put on performances everywhere. This photograph would have probably been on an ad in the paper for Lucia, or even for the artist, Maurice Seymour. The photograph would have been used to advertise