Altum Silentium - Self-Portrait, Reta May Morter

Art Historical Context

In this gelatin silver print, a young woman with a short bob stands against a deep, shadowed background, her direct gaze meeting the viewer with quiet intensity. She wears a dark velvet dress accented by delicate lace at the neckline and a simple pendant on a long chain. Soft lighting models her features and the folds of her sleeve, while her clasped hands and slightly turned posture create a sense of poised stillness within the composition’s dramatic tonal range. Titled *Altum Silentium - Self-Portrait, Reta May Morter*, the work was made in 1922 by Mesdames Morter, Dorothy Morter, Reta Morter. The photograph exemplifies the artistic ambitions of early twentieth-century studio portraiture, where careful lighting and printing techniques transformed a likeness into a statement of personal presence. Acquired through the Pepita Milmore Memorial Fund, the print now resides in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.