| OCR Text |
Show 48 of the original watercolor portrait, if Sih-Sa was to appear to be observing the central action of the dance. The choice of this figure did not follow Bodmer's usual method for incorporating the portrait figures into the aquatint composition. Sih-Sa could not be directly copied by Vogel into the copperplate, because in order to make his placement in the outer circle seem natural, the image had to be turned, so that it would appear in full profile. On the whole, Vogel's interpretation of the figure is very successful, but a certain awkwardness remains, due, not to Vogel's etching, but to the position of Sfh-Sa within the image. In this proof state Sih-Sa remains unfinished, blocked out within a lighter area of not yet fully-worked aquatint biting. His portrait was possibly one of the last to be inserted and should probably be viewed as an experiment. The left corner of the foreground in this proof state is the weakest part of the aquatint composition. It includes the space occupied by the dog, the Indian child, and an indistinct seated background figure. This area of the aquatint presented a compositional problem for Bodmer and the process he used to resolve it should be examined. The circle of dancers and spectators expanded as Vogel worked from the inside of the circle outward. By the time the portrait figures in the far-right foreground had been added, the right side of the circle had expanded to the very edge of the copperplate. This is very successful, as it produces a sense of the massed activity of the ceremony, while also giving the viewer the impression that he or she is standing at the edge of the congested scene. However, this expanded circle is somewhat off-center, leaving a relative void on the far left of the copperplate. It is probable that Bodmer and Vogel first tried to minimize this void by inserting |
