The Two Ways of Life  

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The Two Ways of Life[1] (1857) is a allegorical photo by British photographer Oscar Gustave Rejlander (1813 – 1875).

It was a seamlessly montaged combination print made of thirty-two images (akin to the use of Photoshop today, but then far more difficult to achieve). First exhibited at the Art Treasures Exhibition, Manchester 1857, the work shows two youths being offered guidance by a patriarch. Each youth looks toward a section of a stage-like tableaux vivant - one youth is shown the virtuous pleasures and the other the sinful pleasures.

It is worth noting that the photograph was purchased by Queen Victoria for her husband Albert, a fact seldom mentioned in the history books because -- presumably -- it does not sit well with the self-propagating half-truth that the Victorian era was extremely prudish, see some common misconceptions about Victorian morality.

Controversy

The image's partial nudity was deemed 'indecent' by some - and those familiar with Rejlander's more commercial work might also suspect that prostitutes had been used as cheap models.

But the 'indecency' faded when Queen Victoria ordered a 10-guinea copy to give to Prince Albert.

Despite this royal patronage, controversy about The Two Ways of Life in strait-laced Scotland in 1858 led to a secession of a large group from the Photographic Society of Scotland, the secessionists founding the Edinburgh Photographic Society in 1861. They objected to the picture being shown with "the sinful half" concealed by drapes. The picture was later shown at the Birmingham Photographic Society with no such furore or censorship.

In 1863 Thomas Sutton, who had shown himself as an early supporter of the work shifted his position and noted that "There is no impropriety in exhibiting works of art such as Etty’s Bathers usurped by a swan[2], but there is impropriety in publicly exhibiting photographs of nude prostitutes in flesh and blood truthfulness and minuteness of detail." (Photo Journal 8, January 15, 1863)

However the Photographic Society of Scotland later made amends and invited Rejlander to a grand dinner in his honour in 1866, held to open an exhibition that included many of his pictures.

Eventually, the success of The Two Ways of Life, and membership of the Royal Photographic Society of London, gave him an entree into London respectability.

See also




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