Visual Rhetoric Sydney Austin

Questions What stands out to you? Why do you think the artist of the image used a black background? Do you think the baby is still alive, or was it aborted?

Background Information The image was created in 1965 It was created by Lennart Nilsson. According to vcande.blogspot.net, this image has been present in publications all throughout the 20 th century. Nilsson is a medical photographer, he started his career out by photojournalism. The image was actually created to show a dead fetus, which would mean it was aborted.

The background of the picture The background of the image, if you look closer, was made to look like a starry sky. Why do you think the artist made the background look this way?

The background of the picture The background of the image, if you look closer, was made to look like a starry sky. Why do you think the artist made the background look this way? I think the artist made the background look like a starry sky because it makes the baby seem neglected and left on it’s own.

Emotional Appeal The image would be pathos (emotional appeal) because when you look at the picture you think about why someone would want to kill the baby. The image tugs at your emotions because you feel sorry for the baby.

Audience The audience of this image would have to be anybody that has an opinion on abortion If you have one, what is your opinion?

Point of View Since there is a fetus in the picture, the message could be coming from a parents’ point of view. A parent would understand the picture more because they have a child and they know the love a parent has for their child.

Focus The focus in this picture would probably be the fetus because it’s in the foreground so it is what draws your eye first.

Color The foreground is light colors like pink, white, kind of clear. The background of the picture is black that kind of looks like a starry sky because of the white specks.

Sources Nilsson, Lennart. Lennart Nilsson Photography Web. 08 Oct Anker, Suzzanne. "4/6: What Were Characteristics of Mid-19th Century Visual Culture That Reflect Notions about Evolution?" Visual Culture and Evolution: An Online Discussion Web. 08 Oct