Umberto Eco, A Photograph

Chapt er 14
Umberto Eco
A PH OTOG RAPH
- l - t E
READERS oF r . ' E. sPRE. s. so si l l r ccal l t het apeof t hel ast mi nut esof
I R. r <l i , , . \ l i cc, r r e. or t l cr l as t hc
1' r ol i cc
ne- r e hanr mer i ng at t hc cl oor . Onc t hi ng
t hat i mprcsse' d r-uanv peopl c uas hou' t he announcer, as hc- rcport crl i n a t ense voi cc
nhat uas happeni ng, t ri ed t o conl el t hc- si t r"rat i on bv rcl crri ng t o a sc' c-nc i n a mori e.
Tl t ere- s' as urrdoubt ecl l r somet hi ng si ngul ar al rout an i ndi r i cl ual goi ng t hrough a f ai rl v
t raumat i c expcri encc as i f hc u' c-re i n a f i l rl .
Thcre can l re onl v t s' o i nt crpret at i ons. Onc i s t l -rt t radi t i onal : l i f c i s l i vcrl as a
u' ork of art . Thc ot her obl i ges us t o ref l cct a bi t l urt her: i t i s t he l i sual u ork
(ci nema,
vi deot apc, mur al , comi c st r i p, phot ogr aph' 1 t hat i s no\ \ ' a par t of our nr el nor \ ' .
Whi ch i s qui t c rl i f -l erent , and sccnrs t o c: onf i rm a hvpot hesi s al readv vent ured,
t rarncl v t hat t hc \ oungcr
gencrat i ons havc absorbcrl as cl crl ent s of t hci r Lrchavi or a
seri cs of el ct nent s f i l t crcd t hrough t hc mass mcrl i a
1an<l
cor-r-ri ng. i n sonrc cascs, f ron' r
t he uost i r r , penct r abl c . r r eas of our cent un' s ar t i st i r ' e\ l ) cr i m( , nt at i on) . To t cl l t hc
t rut h, i t i sn' t cvcn neccssarv t o t al k about nel ' gcrrerat i ons: I l ' r' ou arc l rarcl l nri ddl e-
apt ' , 1. r , , t t si l l l r . r r t l . r , ' n, , 1 pt , r sunl l l r t h, . . r i nt 1, , sl r i t h. r p. ' r ' i . n. . ' 1l or r , . l . - l r .
or hope) i s f i l t ercd t hrough' al readl scen' i rnages. I l eave i t t o rnoral i st s t o cl cpl ore
t hi s u' av of l i vi ng bv i r-rt crn-redi at c cr>rnr-r-runi cat i on. We must onl v bear i n mi nci t l -rat
nranki ncl has nert ' r' d. , ne anrt hi ng cl sc, ancl bcl brc Nad. rr ancl t h. ' Lumi cres, i t usecl
other inr.rges, rlrau' n lrom pagan c' an' ings or thc illur"t-rinate-rl r-r.rar.ruscripts of thc
Apocal , r pse.
Wc can f brc-see anot her obj cct i on, t hi s t i n-rc not l i om chcri sl . rers ol ' t hc t racl i -
t i on: I sn' t i t pcr haps an unpl easant exan"r pl t o1' t hc i deol ogr ol . sci cnt i t i c neut r al i t r ' ,
t he uar' , n-hcn u-e arc l i cerl br act i l c behal i or anrl scari r"rg, drarnat i c cvcnt s, \ \ ' c
al s. r_r' s t n agai n anrl agai n t o anal l zc t l -rer-n, <l cf i nc- t l ' rcr-n, i nt erprct t hcnr, di sscct
t hcn' r? Can u' e <l cf i ne t hat \ \ ' hi ch bl cl ef i ni t i on cl udcs al l dcf i ni ng? Wcl l , nc must
l r ar , t ht '
(
our Jg( t o Jss( r t on( ( ' nr or r u hl l r r e l r . ' l i . ' r . i n, To. l . i v r nor ( t hi n
( \ r r
pol i t i cal ncr. ' s i t sel f i s nrarked, mot i vat c-rl , abundant l r nouri shccl br t he svmbol i c.
Undcrst ancl i ng
t l i c
l t ol i t i cal .
Not unr l c
nt i st ake t o rr. cl uc. c
1.
i t i s ecl ual l r' \ \ . rong
There arc ur-rqr
Lt t ci arro Lanra' s i r-rt ,
ml l st not be' ovcrl r
t urcs. Lama
l )rescn
rul cs of a l ront al
spat i . r l i t r , f i ci ng
a
ol aggrcgation
ancl
Thei rs i s a di f f crent
n-as t hc c. l ash al so
Brunel l cschi ar. r
ar-rd t
t act ors u oul <l bc- nt
i nt cl l ect ual
€(rnt c
\
Revol ut i on, Nazi snr
r. ncnt i on t hc Rol l i ng
cl epl ol mcnt
of spact
ancl t hc l i sual t he pl
An<l nou t o . . rn
shi f t i ng experi cncc
emt -rqed. Fronr l ari
as an al i cn bocl r - ; an
f l -or-n ui t hi n. . {ppar
r ar i ous
cl er ncnt s cal
t hc r-t -rovemcnt
di rl n' t
t hcn-rsc[ r' es i n unacce
of soci al
prot est t h. rl
hai c hcar d. Basi cal h
a tllass ntctvt-rncnt.
,l
Nou' , l a. st n. eck.
t hc de[ rat c
prcvi ous
l >cc' ausc r l cci si vt
st at t
o1T. Wl u' at t hat r-non
i n Mi l ar i r nar l c a r l e- c
harl also hail .r profir
nra\ ' \ ' el t t l l rc
a hr. l t ot
cr cr vt hi ng, i r ut [ r cc. <r
shi p. A
phot ograph a
X4;un
photograltl
al t cr bei ng
puhl i shcd
phot oqraph of a r. ourr.
t he mi dcl l c of a st rcr.
gr aspi ngapi st ol
. Ot l
st r uct ur c i s cl assi c. al i r
of ' t he l ast mi nut cs of
t hc door.
()nc
t hi ng
rort cd i n a t ensc l oi cc
t o a scene i n a t -ut t vi c.
goi ng t hrough a f ai rl r'
i onal : l i t ' e i s l i vecl as a
: r' i sual u ork
l ci net -ua,
rart of our mcmor\ -.
si s al readr' rent urecl ,
. rt s
of t hci r behal i or a
l,
in solrc cases, fi-on-t
rcr. rt at i or-r). To t el l t l . rc
, ' ou are barcl v r-ni cl dl e-
xperi cncc (l ovc, I ' ear,
: r moral i st s t o depl ore
rnlv be-ar in r-nintl that
thi Lur.r.ricrcs, it usecl
' t l r-nanuscri pt s of t hc
l . rcri shcrs of ' t hc t rat l i -
rf sci cnt i f i c neut ral i t r' ,
,
drar-nat i c evc-nt s, \ \ ' c
rt crpret t hcnt , di ssect
i ni ng? Wcl l , uc- must
l o<l av morc- t han cl er
; hcd bl t he svrnbol i c.
A PHOTOGRAPH 127
Uncl crst ancl i ng t he mcchani sms ci f t he srmbol i c i n u' hi ch \ \ ' e move means bci n-q
pol i t i cal . Not underst andi ng t hcrn l eacl s t o mi st aken pol i t i cs. Of course, i t i s al so a
rni st akc t o rcrl uce pol i t i cal and cconomi c event s t o l nere svmbol i c rnechani sms; but
i t i s equal h' \ \ ' rong t o i -qnore t hi s di n-rcnsi on.
Thcrc arc unquest i onabl r- manv rcasons, ancl seri ous ones, l or t he out comc o1'
Luci ano Lama' s i nt en' cnt i onl at t hc Uni rrrsi t v of Rome. but one
part i cul ar
rcas()l r
nr ust n( ) t l r , ' or cr l c, okct l : t hc opposi t i or r l , ct i r ' , ct t t r r o t ht ' at r i t al or sl ) at i Jl s1t ' uc-
t urcs. Lar-na present ecl hi mscl f on a pocl i ur. r. r (hou' ever rnakeshi f t ), t hus obevi ng t hc
rul es of a l ront al communi cat i on charact eri st i c of t racl e-uni on, u' orki ng cl ass
spat i al i t r' , l aci ng a crol ' rl of st ucl cnt s uho havc, hou' e' r' er, cl e' r' el oped ot hcr u-al s
of aggregat i on and i nt eract l on, dcccnt ral i zccl , mobi l e, apparent l l cl i sorgani zed.
Thei rs i s a cl i f ' f crcnt u av of ' or. qani zi n-q spacc ani l so t hat dav at t he Ur-ri versi t v t l -rere-
u' as t hc cl ash al so bct u' ccn t \ \ ' o concept s of perspcct i l c, t hc onc \ \ ' c mi ght cal l
Bruncl l eschi an ancl t hc ot her cubi st . Truc, anvonc rcduci ng t hc u' hol c st on t o t hese
f act ors n oul d be n. ri st aken, but anr-onc t n' i ng t o di smi ss t hi s i nt crprct at i on as an
i nt cl l cct ual gamc u' oul cl be rni st aken, t oo. Thc Cat l ' rri l i c Churt : h, t hc Frcnch
Revol ut i on, Nazi sr. r-r, t he Sor-i ct Uni on, and t l . rc Pcopl e' s Republ i c of Chi na, not t cr
mc-nt i on t hc Rol l i ng St oncs anrl socct -r cl ubs, have al uavs knou' n l crv u' cl l t hat t hc
cl epl ovn. rcnt . rf rpac. ' c i s rcl i gi on, pol i t i cs, i t l col ogr' . S. , i . t ' . gi rr back t o t hc spat i al
ancl t hc vi sual t he pl ace t hcl t l cscrvc i n t he i . ri st orr of pol i t i cal ancl soci al rcl at i ons.
Anrl nou t o anot her event . Thesc- past rnont hs, l ' i t hi n t hat r-ari cgat ed and
shi l t i ng cxper i ence t hat i s cal l ed' t he mo' r ' ement , ' t he r ncn car r vi ng. l S' s havc
ernergcd. From l ari ous quart crs t hc movcrncrrt has bccr-r asked t o denounce t hen' r
as an al i en bocl r' ; and t here uere f brces excrt i ng prcssurc bot h f ron-r out si rl e and
f ron-r si t hi n. Apparcnt l r t hi s rl emancl f br rcj cct i on cnc()unt crcd di l f i cul t i cs, and
rari ous cl cmcnt s carne i nt o pl ar' . Sr-nt l ' rct i cal l r' , u' c can sav t l -rat manv bel or-rgi ng t o
t hc r. novement di dn' t f cel l i ke l abel i ng as out si dt -rs l orccs t hat , cvcn i f t hcv reveal ed
t hcrnscl ves i n unacccpt abl c anrl t . agi J"l l t sui ci cl al \ \ ' a\ -s, sccnrc, l t u
"*1rr"r: i
a rcal i t r
of soci al prot cst t hat cr ul dn' t bc- dcni e-cl . I am rcpeat i n-q cl i scussi ons t hat al l of us
hal c hcard. Basi cal l v u' hat nas sai d u' as t hi s. Thev arc \ \ ' rong, but t hcv arc part of
a mass mol cment . Ani l t hc t l cbat e u' as harsh, pai nf ul .
Nou' , l ast ueek, t hcrc occurrecl a ki nrl of preci pi t at i on of al l t hc cl cmcnt s of
t hc dcbat c previ ousi l suspenderl i n uncert ai nt r. Suddcnl r' , and I sar- su<kl enl v
becausc dcci si ve st at cmcnt s u cre i ssuerl i n t he spacc of a dar' , t hc
-qunmcr-r
\ \ ' crc cut
of f . Whv at t hat r. norncnt ? Whv not bcf brc? I t ' s not cnough t o sav t hat rccent event s
i n Mi l anr macl e a dccp i nr pr . . . i on on t nanr ' peopl e, [ r ". ui t r ", i mi l a. cvcnt s i n Rome
hacl al so had a prof bunt l cl I cct .
' What
happenccl t hat \ \ ' as ne\ \ -ancl cl i f -f crcnt ? Wc
ma\ ' \ ' ent ure a l -rrpot l ' rcsi s, once agai r-r recal l i ng t hat an c-xpl anat i on ncvcr expl ai ns
even' t hi ng, but be-cornes part of a l ancl scapc of cxpl anat i ons i n reci procal rcl at i on-
shi p. A phot ograph appc-arc<I .
Manr phot ographs have appearecl , l rut t hi s one na<l c t hc rouncl s of al l t ht - papers
af t cr l rei ng publ i shc<l i n t he Corri cre J' l nl t t rnazi onc. As cvcn' onc u' i l l rccal l , i t sas t ht -
phot ograph of a l our. rg man u' cari ng a kr. ri t t ecl ski -n. rask, st ancl i ng al or. rc, i n prof i l c, i n
t he ni rkl l c of a st reet , l cgs apart , arms out st rct cl . red hori zont al l r' , u' i t h bot h hands
graspi ng a pi st ol . C)t her f ornrs can bc scct . r i t . t t he backgrouncl , but t he phot ograpl ' r' s
st ruct ure i s cl assi cal i n i t s si rnpl i ci t r' : t hc ccnt ral l i gurc, i sol at cd, domi nat es i t .
128 UMBERTO ECO
I f i t i s l i ci t (and i t i s neccssan' ) t o make acst het i (r obscrvat i ons i n such cases,
this is onc of tl.rose photographs that rvill go dorvn in histon' and u' ili appear ir.r a
thousand books. Thc r,icissitucles of our centurv have been summed up in a fc' rr'
exempl an' phot ographs t hat have proved epoch-maki r. rg: t he unrul v crou' d pouri ng
i nt o t hc square duri n. { t hc ' t en davs t hat shook t he n' orl d' ; Robert Capa' s cl vi ng
mi l i ci ano; t hc mari nes
pl ant i ng t he f l ag on I u' o
Ji rna;
t hc Vi et namese pri soner bci r. rg
execut ed ui t h a shot i n t hc t empl e; CI ' rc Gucvara' s t ort urcd bodl on. r pl ank i n a
barracks. Each of t hese i magcs has become a mvt h and has condensed nurncrous
speechcs. I t has. surpasserl t he i ndi r-i dual ci rcumst ancc t hat produc' ed i t ; i t no l onger
spcaks of t hat si ngl c charact er or of t hose charact ers, but expresses conccpt s. I t i s
uni que, but at t he sarnc t i mc i t rcf crs t o ot her i rnages t hat prccedccl i t or t hat , i n
i mi t at i on, have f ol l ou' ed i t . Each of t hesc phot o. qraphs seems a f i l m s' e hal e scen
and ref -ers t o ot her f i l ms t hat had secn i t . Somet i mes i t i sn' t a phot ograph but a
pai nt i ng, or a post er.
What di d t he phot ograph of t he Mi l anese gunman' sar-' i I bcl i evc i t abrupt l r'
rcve' al ecl , rvi t hor, rt t hc need f or a l ot of di gressi ' r' e spceches, son-ret hi ng t hat has becn
ci rcul at i ng i n a l ot of t al k, but t hat uords al onc coul d r. rot makc peopl e accept . That
phot ograph cl i dn' t resembl e anv of t he' i mages u. l ri ch, f br at l east f our generat i ons,
hacl bccn embl ems o1' t hc i dea of revol ut i on. The col l ect i ve cl emcnt rvas mi ssi ng;
i n a t raumat i c u' av t he f i gure of t he l orre hcro rct urned hcrc. And t hi s l onc hero
\\' as not the onc familiar in revolutionarv iconographv, u' hich u-hen it portralcd a
man al one al vr-avs sau' hi nr as vi ct i m, sacrl i 6. i al l u] r. rt r' i h" cl vi ng mi l i ci ano or t he sl ai n
Che, i n f act . Thl s i ndi vi dual hero, on t he cont ran
,
had t he pni , t h" t crri f i ng i sol a-
t i on of ' t hc t ough guv of gangst er mori es or t he soi i t . rrl gl rnman of t he Wcst r1o
l ongcr dear t o a gcnerat i on u' ho consi der t hemscl l es rnet ropol i t an I ndi ans.
Thi s i mage suggest ed ot hcr rl ' orl ds, ot hcr t i gurat i vc, narrat i vc t radi t i ons t hat
had not hi ng t o do u. i t h t hc prol , ' t ari an t radi t i on, u' i t h t he i dea of poprl i ar revol t ,
of mass st ruggl c' . Suddcnl v i t i nspi rccl a sr-ncl ront e of rcj ect i on. I t can' re t o cxprcss
t he l bl l ou' i ng concept : Re' r' ol ut i on i s cl seu' here and, el cn i f i t i s possi bl e, i t rl oesn' t
oroceed vi a t hi s ' i ndi vi dual '
act .
Thc phot oqraph, l br a ci vi l i zat i on nou accust omecl t o t hi nki ng i n i rnagcs, u l s
not t he dcscri pt i on of a si ngl e event (and,
i n l i ct , i t rnakcs no di f f ' crencc u' ho t he
man \ \ ' as, nor does t he phot ograph hcl p i n i dent i l ' ri ng l i i m): i t \ \ ' as an argument .
And i t u-orked.
I t i s o[ no i nt erest t o knou i f i t u' as posed
l and
t hercf bre f akedl , n' het her i t
*.as thc testimonv of an act of conscious bravaclo, if it s-as the u' ork of a prof-es-
si onal phot ogruph". uho gaugecl t he monrent , t he l i ght , t he f i ' amc, or u' het her i t
vi rt u. rl l v t ook i t sel f , uas snapped acci dcnt al l l br r. rnski l l ed and l uckv hands. At t hc
moment i t appeared, i t s communi cat i l c carecr began: once agai n t he pol i t i cal and
t he pri vat e have becn marked bl t l . re pl ot s ol t he svmbol i c, uhi ch, as al u. avs happens,
has pro' r' ed prorl ucer of real i t v.
Notes
I An i ndept -nde
st udent ri ot s c
then' r inlbrmar
2 Luci ano Lanra
n' as vi ol ent l r.
of Ronr e. Thc
student nto.r.er
3 During a cor-rfr
t i ons i n such cases,
rnd u' i l l appear i n a
mmcd up in a l' er,r'
rul v cros' d pouri ng
obcrt Capa' s cl vi ng
ncsc pri soner bei ng
odl on a pl ank i n a
rndcnsed numerous
rccd i t ; i t no l onger
: ' sscs concept s. I t i s
ccdcd i t or t hat , i n
r 6l m u-c har-e seen
a photograph but a
bclio' e it abrupth'
: t hi ng t hat has bcen
pcopi c accept . That
st f bur
gcncrat i ons,
rment \ \ -as mi ssi ng;
And t hi s l one hero
vhcn i t port raved a
ni l i ci dno or t hc sl ai n
t he t erri f vi ng i sol a-
n of t he West no
i t an I ncl i ans.
I t i ve t radi t i ons t hat
L of popul ar revol t ,
I t came t o express
possi bl c, i t doesn' t
<i ng i n i mages, u' as
diflbrencc- u' ho the
. \ \ ' as an argumcnt .
t akcrl ), l ' het her i t
: u' ork of a profes-
ame, or u-hct hcr i t
I uckv hands. At t he
. ;
r r n t hL' poht l cal and
,
as al u' avs happens,
A PHOTOGRAPH 129
Notes
I An i ndcpcndcnt radi cal radi o stati ()n cl osc(l dou-n bv the pol i ce al ter thc Bol ogna
studcnt ri ots of 1977, on the grounds that the stati on had i nci tcd the ri otcrs and gi .r' en
t hem i nl br mat i on about
pol i cc
movement s.
2 Luci ano Lama, l eacl cr of t hc Communi st - or i ent cd Gener al Conf ' eder at i on of Labor ,
s' as vi ol entl r-rej ectecl n' hen he tri ecl to speak to students occupvi ng thc Uni versi tv
o1' Rome. The i nci cl ent conf i r med t hc r upt ur e bct ueen t he Communi st Par t y and t hc
st udcnt movement of 1971 .
3 Duri ng a confrontati on betu' ccn ri oters and pol i ce
,
a pol i ceman rr.as shci t.
The
Photography
Reader
Erl i t ecl bv
Liz Wells
E)
Routl edqe
fr \
rayto,arranciicroup
LONDON AND NEW YORK
Fi r st publ i shcd 200i
br Rout l cdgc
2 Par k Squar e, t r l i l t on Par k, Abi ngdon, Or on C) X1. 1
. l R\
Si nr ul t r ncousl v publ i sher l i n t hc Ll S. \ ancl Canar l . r
bv Routl t dgr.
270 Madi son. {r ' enuc, \ eu ) or k, Nl ' 10016
Repr i nt er l 2001, 2004 ( r $ i r . e) , 2006
l t hr ce r i nr cs) , 2007
Roul cJqc 1s dn l npri nt ol thc Ta,rl or
&Fr,rncr-i
(i rorrp,
an i nforrna bu-i rnci s
e 2001 Scl cct i on anr l ecl i t or i al mat t cr . I i z \ \ r cl l s;
i ndi r i dual chapt cr s t o t ht ' i r . r ut ht r s
' l - r pt - set
i n Pt r Pct ua and Bel l Got hi c br
Fl or enct - I ) r ot l uct i on I . t d, St oodl ei gh, Der on
Pr i nt ecl anr l bounr l i n
( l r eat
Br i t ai n bv
TJ l r l \ ' r ' nJt i ur t Jl I 1J. Pr ( l 5t o\ \ .
( ( ) nt \ \ , r l l
Al l r i ght s r cscr vcd. No par t of t hi s book mal bc r cpr i nt ed or r epr oduccd
or ut i l i sccl i n anr f br nr or bv anv el ecl r oni c, r nt - chani cal , or ot hcr mcans,
nou kr oun or hcr eal t cr i ni , nt . , l , i nt l uJt ng
phot r r l - 61; 1 i 11g and r cr . gr di ng,
or i n anr i nf or m. r t i on st or agc or r et r i eval svst cnt , u- i t hout
l t er nt i ssi on
i n
sr i t i nq f r onr t hc publ i sher s.
Bri ti sh Li brar_t Cdtal ogutno i n
prthl i carton
Dqtd
A cat al oguc r ccor d l br t hi s l ) ( ) ok i s avai l abl e f i ' om t ht Br i t i sh Li l r r ar l
I i hrdrr ,rl ' Congress
(atal ogi ng
i n Puhl i cati on Drtttt
has br . t n appl i cd l br
r SBN10: 0' +15 2+660 1 ( hbk)
I SBN10: 0
- +15
2+661 X ( pbk1
I SBNI l : 978 0 +t t 2+660 6 ( hbk)
I SB\ 11: 97E 0
- +15
2+661 I ( pbk;
Contr
List of illustratic
Notes on contn
Acknowl edgem
Gener al i nt r <
PART ONE
Ref l ect i ons
I NTRODUi
1 Rol and I
EXTRACT
2 M a r j or i e
WHAT HA
GARDEN/
3 Wal t er E
EXTRACT
MECHAN'
4 W. J. T.
BENJAMI I
Susan S
PH OTOG I