Perennial question when one is confronted with a photo of a person: am I responding positively (or negatively) to the part, i.e., the attractive (or unattractive) individual, or am I responding positively (or negatively) to the whole, i.e., the photo qua photo? Not always easy to disentangle, obvs.

Case in point: Lee Miller, “Bürgermeister of Leipzig’s daughter after suicide, Germany” (1945).

Antonio Canova (1757-1822), “Maddalena Giacente [Recumbent Magdalene]” (1819-1822), marble sculpture. Story behind the sculpture’s loss and rediscovery: www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...