--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I feel that the Photograph creates my…" description: "\"“I feel that the Photograph creates my body or mortifies it, according to its caprice (apology of this mortiferous power: certain Communards paid with ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/607/roland-barthes-1062_french-history_i-feel-that-the-photograph-creates-my-bo_1115307.png" --- # I feel that the Photograph creates my body or mortifies… ![“I feel that the Photograph creates my body or mortifies it, according to its caprice (apology of this mortiferous power: certain Communards paid with their lives for their willingness or even their eagerness to pose on the barricades: defeated, they were recognized by Thiers's police and shot…” quote by Roland Barthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/607/roland-barthes-1062_french-history_i-feel-that-the-photograph-creates-my-bo_1115307.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/607/roland-barthes-1062_french-history_i-feel-that-the-photograph-creates-my-bo_1115307.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/607/roland-barthes-1062_french-history_i-feel-that-the-photograph-creates-my-bo_1115307.png) > ““I feel that the Photograph creates my body or mortifies it, according to its caprice (apology of this mortiferous power: certain Communards paid with their lives for their willingness or even their eagerness to pose on the barricades: defeated, they were recognized by Thiers's police and shot, almost every one).”” [Roland Barthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-barthes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Barthes argues that photographs can either empower or diminish the subject, reflecting the photographer’s arbitrary power and the subject’s vulnerability. **In simple terms:** Photos can uplift or degrade, depending on the photographer’s whims. Key Takeaway Recognize the power dynamics in image-making. Themes photography power vulnerability Mood reflective critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - art criticism - media studies - personal identity - historical memory Key Concepts representation subjectivity mortality Questions to Reflect On - How does the photographer’s intent affect your perception of a subject? - Can a photograph ever truly capture a person’s essence? 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