Victorian photographs and Andres Serrano's "Morgue" (Unit 7)

Post-mortem photography was very common in the nineteenth century when "death occurred in the home and was an ordinary part of life". The death behind my pix-elated images would be invisible behind it. The same can be said for these images of Victorian photographs, but the death is hiding in sight. All of the children in these photos are dead. But its not communicated because you don't assume day life photographs of fully clothed bodies, maybe only at an open coffin funeral.

Andres Serrano's controversial "corpse" series presents morgue photography of the victims of violent death in the manner of beautified portraits. As the common practice of post-mortem photography in North America and Western Europe has largely ceased, the portrayal of such images has become vulgar. 

You are familiar enough with the skin tones and shape but its quite disgustingly unfamiliar in a sence of how much they give away in death, the bag is the most unsubtle thing about it and also makes for great colouring.

Photograph from "Morgue" 1991, Serrano

Photograph from "Morgue" 1991, Serrano