Shedding Light on Political Power

by Examining the Ceremony and Visual Art of United States’ Presidents and European Royalty

By Darby E. Madewell

Abstract

This paper will examine artwork and photographs of people of power—namely presidents and royalty—and of political ceremonies—debates, inaugurations, and coronations—with regard to their particular lighting choices. It will explore the relationship between lighting in ceremony and in visual art, as well as the motivation behind particular lighting choices. The original problem was: disregarding the notable facial features, emblems, and colors within images of powerful people, are themes present in the lighting choices that identify the subject as powerful? This paper will argue that patterns are present in angle, intensity, and color, which ultimately affect the visibility, selective focus, modeling, and mood of the image such that it conveys the concept of power.

Keywords: Power, Political Lighting, Political Ceremony, Presidential Debates, Coronations, Visual Art, Portraits

Shedding Light on Political Power by Examining the Ceremony and Visual Art of United States Presidents and European Royalty

“Political Lighting” is any lighting in which design choices were politically motivated on a conscious or subconscious level. “Lighting” here is not limited to theatrical lighting design. Instead, it includes most areas in which light is used: theatre, ceremony, visual art, architecture, etc. This paper will be primarily concerned with lighting primarily in visual art and secondarily in ceremony but also recognizes the implications of political lighting in other areas. However, theatrical lighting basics will be used to identify and examine patterns and themes, such as the four qualities of light—color, intensity, movement, and distributions—and the four functions of light—visibility, mood, modeling, and selective focus—introduced in Theatrical Design and Production by J. Gillette (Gillette, 2005). These patterns in ceremony and visual art tend to indicate a theme within the lighting of powerful, political figures: an experienced past and a hopeful future.

The First Debate with Political Lighting

The 1960 debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon was not only the first televised debate, it was also the first time that lighting had played a blatantly significant role in the public’s interpretation of the candidates. In other words, it was the first time that a candidate could appear more “presidential.”

Figure 1: Image of the Kennedy-Nixon televised debate. 1960.

To explain how the televised images affected the interpretation of the candidates, James Druckman conducted an experiment in which participants either viewed the debate or listened to an audio recording. He discovered that “the results support the hypothesis insofar as television viewers relied on both their perceptions of leadership effectiveness and integrity…whereas audio listeners relied only on leadership effectiveness” (p. 567). He would go further to say that this emphasis on the image in the television group overrode any focus on the issues and that viewers perceived Kennedy as a man of significantly more integrity than Nixon (Druckman, 2003, p. 576). This begs the question: what is it that makes Kennedy look so much more presidential? What gives him the look of integrity and power that would benefit him in the end?

Political Lighting in Visual Art

The challenge in analyzing the lighting of any given political ceremony is that any ceremony occurring outside by definition cannot have political lighting. The sun is its own lighting designer, with no regard for the design choices of political advisors. Therefore, it is photographs of indoor political ceremonies and works of artists’ interpretations must be used to identify the patterns. Works will include the HOPE poster, Arthur Keller’s painting of Coolidge’s oath of office, the photograph of Lyndon B. Johnson’s oath of office after JFK’s death, Jacques-Louis David’s The Coronation of Napoleon, and the photograph of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation.

Figure 2. "HOPE" Poster. 2008. Shepard Fairey.

The “HOPE” Poster

The first artwork to examine is one of the most recognized images of 2008: Shepard Fairey’s iconic “PROGRESS” poster, later changed to “HOPE.” The minimalist design and color choices make this poster a prime work for introducing lighting patterns.

Distribution. The light in Figure 2 is coming from a place high above Obama’s face and at a steep angle. This is shown through the placement of the highlights. A light source directly to his right would light that entire side of his face, not just the particular areas that are highlighted. Likewise, a source directly toward his face would cause no shadows on his face whatsoever. A high angle slightly to the side, however, has the ability to cast shadows on particular areas of the face, particularly under the eyes, beside the nose, and under the jawline.

Intensity. The intensity of the light is its brightness, or the degree of highlights on the face. Here, the strong difference between the reds/blues and the highlights, as well as the largeness of the highlight itself, indicates a very bright light. In combination with the distribution of the light, it can be inferred that the light is far away.

Color. In his poster, Fairey chooses to use reds and blues, the colors of the United States flag. The final color, however, is a cream, or a warm variant of white. This is significant because it would have been easy to simply use white and follow the patriotic color scheme. Instead, Fairey specifically chooses a warm white over a cool white—one with yellow, or even orange tones underneath.

Effects on the Functions of Light. As mentioned previously, the functions of light are visibility, modeling, selective focus, and mood. Each of these functions is affected in the above picture because of its distribution, intensity, or color. For example, the bright, warm, far away light is used to selectively focus the face on the viewer’s left-hand side. This light also creates a hopeful mood, either in that Obama is moving us toward the light or that he is the light. The distribution of the light also affects the modeling. Once again, the shadows are cast under the eyes, beside the nose, and under the jawline. It creates a stark outline of the sunken areas of the face, particularly under the eyes, cheekbones, nose, and lips. This modeling creates a more somber mood than before, one that is earnest and in some ways grim. The visibility is less significant here because the poster acts as a sort of portrait where the subject must be plainly visible.

Figure 3. Portrait of John F. Kennedy. 1971. Aaron Shikler.

Patterns in Portraits. Because the HOPE poster is primarily a portrait, it is easiest to find patterns in other portraits. Figures 3 and 4 are the official presidential portraits of John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton, respectively. Both portraits, despite Kennedy’s unconventional pose, have similar patterns. The bright warm light at a high angle is still present, and it heavily highlights one side of the face—left, in this case—while simultaneously casting crisp shadows on the other. The mood, selective focus, and modeling are all consistent with that of the HOPE poster in Figure 2.

Calvin Coolidge Taking the Oath of Office

As discussed previously, inaugurations pose a dilemma to this paper because they generally occur outside. However, immediately after Warren G. Harding’s death, then-vice president Calvin Coolidge would have to take the presidential oath of office from his father in his father’s cabin in 1923. Coolidge’s own description of the event was, “It seemed a simple and natural thing to do at the time, but I can now realize something of the dramatic force of the event” (Martin, 2016). It was only after the fact that an artist would make a rendering of his first inauguration, as Arthur Keller did in the painting in Figure 5.

Figure 4. Portrait of Bill Clinton. 2004. Simmie Knox.

Figure 5. [Calvin Coolidge Taking the Oath of Office]. 1924. Arthur Keller.

The significant part of this painting is that the lighting was completely Keller’s creation since he did not see the actual inauguration. The only light source, which we can see plainly in the center of the painting, is a small oil lamp on the table. It is from this source that all light and shadow should be coming, yet the lighting is inconsistent. The shadow cast on the right side of the back wall has no object causing it, and the light on Coolidge’s face seems to be coming from the direction of the artist’s perspective instead of the oil lamp.

Visibility and Selective Focus. Visibility becomes significantly more important in this painting because it must be used to identify the focus of the painting. The seemingly source-less shadow detracts focus from the two men in the back of the painting, causing the eye to tend toward the two men in the middle left. It is here that the inconsistent lighting becomes more obvious. The light casts a reasonably large shadow across part of the other man’s face, while Coolidge has almost no shadow on his face. Considering the angle of the oil lamp, it’s nearly impossible that his face could be lit so well. This suggests, once again, a bright, faraway light at a high angle. The consistency of this pattern is particularly significant in this painting because it extends the pattern past portraits.

Modeling and Mood. Due to the lack of obvious shadow on Coolidge’s face, the modeling is mostly assumed from the shadows beginning at the back of his neck and top of his head. However, the man directly across from Coolidge offers more, almost mirroring Coolidge. The bright highlight on his face is coming from in front of him, which could be the oil lamp or even Coolidge himself. The shadows on all of the faces, and around the entire room, suggest a particularly melancholy situation. It is in this time of darkness—the death of President Harding—that a warm, positive light must emerge through the new President Coolidge.

The Coronation of Napoleon

Figure 6. The Coronation of Emperor Napoleon I and the Crowning of Empress Josephine in Notre Dame Cathedral on December 2, 1804. 1806-7. Jacques-Louis David.

So far, all of the artwork has been of powerful United States presidents. Can these patterns of lighting also be extended to include powerful politicians from other areas of the world? Figure 6 depicts a rather famous painting commissioned by Napoleon the coronation of both himself and Empress Josephine. According to the Louvre, David was “…combining accuracy with artistry while also complying with the Emperor’s instructions” (Dorbani, 2016). Napoleon himself would be quoted saying, “What relief, what truthfulness! This is not a painting; one walks in this picture” (Dorbani, 2016).

Selective Focus and Visibility. The painting focuses on Emperor Napoleon holding a crown above Empress Josephine with the self-described gesture of a “French knight” (Dorbani, 2016). It does this by centering them in the image and through the use of a beam of light coming from an unseen source to the upper left. This beam of light creates a brighter circle encompassing the Emperor, the Empress, and the Church behind them. The brightest, though, and therefore the center of the painting is the Emperor himself, with the highlights on his face and outstretched arms attracting the eye. Though this time the beam of light itself is visible, the pattern still applies: the bright highlight of his cheekbone shines warmly, with a shadow cast on his neck.

Modeling and Mood. Like that of Figure 5, the modeling in Figure 6 is mostly seen through those surrounding the Emperor. The two women holding the Empress’s train and the leaders of the Church behind him all have shadows on the sides of their faces, while Napoleon does not. This is likely to cause him to stand out further in the crowd lit by the beam of light. The mood remains similar, however. The gloomy shadows on the outskirts of the painting suggest a serious air, while Napoleon stands, arms outstretched to the light that focuses primarily on him.

Themes within the Patterns

It is clear that there is a pattern of lighting within visual art depicting political power: a bright, warm light coming from an unseen place at a steep angle, focusing on the most powerful politician in the frame. From campaign art to portraits, commissioned paintings to unsolicited paintings, the pattern remains present. It creates similar moods and atmospheres within each piece of art, and it suggests similar themes as well.

Hope

The first theme is perhaps the most obvious, as Barack Obama’s campaign poster says it quite blatantly. The bright, warm light in every piece is symbolic of hope in the same way that darkness is generally symbolic of evil. In the Obama poster (Figure 2) and the Coolidge painting (Figure 5), the light shines so brightly on their faces that is can be ambiguous whether that ray of hope is on them—as some sort of divine selection—or if it is radiating from them. The Coronation painting (Figure 6) tends more toward divine selection, especially with the visibility of the ray of light itself and the presence of the Church. Regardless, the suggestion of a hopeful future in a time of darkness is evident in all three works.

It is unclear whether the direction of the light is ultimately significant. In the Obama poster (Figure 2) for example, the light is coming from the viewer’s left, which is also the assigned direction of the Democratic Party on the United States’ political spectrum. This is reinforced by the color blocking of the background—Democratic “blue” on the left with Republican “red” on the right. Perhaps the light represents hope under a potential President Obama, or perhaps it represents hope under a democratic majority. One should not go so far as to say that this is a pattern, however, because it is not always consistent and depends on the political spectrum of the time. Additional, in-depth research would be needed to definitively say.

Experience

While the highlights in these works provide a sense of hope, so do the shadows provide a sense of somber command. The shadows cast under eyes, cheekbones, chins, lips, ears, etc. create a sense of age, but when combined with the bright highlights, it is not so much as to be elderly. It creates the shadows that will be even more present after the president’s term is over: the jagged cheekbones of hard work, the under-eye bags of experience, and the age of wisdom. These shadows do not have to be strictly on the subject, however. In Coolidge’s painting (Figure 5) specifically, the figure opposite him mirrors the shadows and feelings beneath his highlights. Likewise, in the Coronation painting (Figure 6) the faces of those surrounding Napoleon encircle him and reflect his mastery.

Power

It is ultimately a combination of themes in light and shadow that creates the image of power. The use of intensity and distribution to create a selective focus on the power is a way for them to command the room without the ability to move or speak. The modeling of the subject creates a dichotomy between the highlights and shadows, youth and experience, hope and pessimism. It is the successful balance of each of these two things that creates a successful image of a leader. The highlights or shadows that contrast the general mood of the painting create a stark contrast, a subtler mood for which the powerful politician must be responsible. It is not the face that makes the powerful image, but the political lighting that shapes it.

Ceremony

Though the pattern and themes of lighting are evident, it is still unclear where they come from—but political ceremony seems an appropriate place to start. In his article regarding Late Roman Imperial Art, Richard Brilliant suggests the idea that “…it is a ceremony that separated Roman rulers from the ruled…works of art and the motifs developed to represent these ceremonies commemorated the historical occasions in a permanent form; they could express the ideology of the ceremony symbolically in categorical images of authority” (Brilliant, 1986, p.30). If it is truly ceremony that creates the visual motifs to symbolically represent power, surely this will be evident in comparing the lighting of ceremony and visual art.

Figure 7. Clinton debates President George H.W. Bush and independent candidate H. Ross Perot (not pictured) at Michigan State University in Lansing, on October 19, 1992. It was their third and final debate. (Merica, 2015).

One of the easiest comparisons to make is that between debate—particularly televised debate—and visual art. The example in Figure 7 (above) is from the 1992 debate between presidential candidates Bill Clinton and Ross Perot and incumbent George H.W. Bush. The lighting on Clinton’s face is very bright, casting stark shadows on the sides of his face and under his chin. When compared to Bill Clinton’s presidential portrait (Figure 4), there are some very strong similarities, despite differences in orientation. The previously identified theme of bright, warm light at a steep angle some distance away seems to be maintained, although there is an additional source lighting him from the top—specifically highlighting his hair and shoulders.

The fact that the two images do have such similarities is striking, and it suggests a correlation between them. Brilliant’s emphasis on the relationship between ruler and ruled comes into play here. In his article, he says “Such ceremonies involved the imperial protagonist and the public in a highly structured relationship that frames political action, expresses its ideology, and offers a rich spectacle” (Brilliant, 1986, p.29). This is precisely what presidential debates are designed to do. The public, either in person or through a screen, watches a performance between the candidates—complete with lighting, sound, scenic, costume, and makeup design. There is a sort of theatrical “fourth wall” placed between the voting public and the candidates up for election, and this fourth wall is depicted in visual art through lighting. That warm, bright, hopeful light could have an additional purpose—to represent the bright front light on a powerful politician throughout debates, campaigns, elections, speeches, “turkey pardonings”, coronations, banquets, portrait sittings, weddings, and other various ceremonies, both literal and figurative.

Conclusions and Future Research

From the initial question—whether or not lighting choices alone could indicate power—emerged a very solid pattern. Visual art depicting strong political leaders tends to have a warm, bright light centered on that subject. This light then casts shadows and highlights that determine the selective focus, visibility, mood, and modeling of the piece, which in turn emphasize ideas commonly associated with power. These highlights and shadows also create a dichotomy that, when balanced correctly, depicts the subject as dominant by enforcing the strict relationship between rulers and ruled.

This paper is only an introduction, however. Future research into international theatre, visual art, ceremony, and architecture and the relationships between them could further identify the significance of political lighting and its effect on public opinion. Research into the process of defining a political image through ceremony may also be necessary. There are undoubtedly additional, minor details that could also be explored—such as the relationship between the direction of light and political affiliation.

Citations

Arnon, B. (2011, May 25). How the Obama “Hope” Poster Reached a Tipping Point and Became a Cultural Phenomenon: An Interview With the Artist Shepard Fairey. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-arnon/how-the-obama-hope-poster_b_133874.html

Brilliant, R. (1986). “I Come to You as Your Lord”: Late Roman Imperial Art. In D. Castriota (Ed.), Artistic Strategy and the Rhetoric of Power: Political Uses of Art from Antiquity to the Present (pp. 27–38). Carbondale, Il: Southern Illinois University Press.

Dorbani, M. B. (2016). The Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon and the Coronation of Empress Josephine on December 2, 1804. Retrieved from http://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/consecration-emperor-napoleon-and-coronation-empress-josephine-december-2-1804

Druckman, J. N. (2003). The power of television images: The first Kennedy-Nixon debate revisited. The Journal of Politics, 65(2), 559-571. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1111/1468-2508.t01-1-00015

Fairey, S. (2011, May 25). ["HOPE" Poster]. Retrieved December 7, 2016, from http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2008-10-11-BarackisHope.jpg

Gillette, J. M. (2005). Theatrical Design and Production: An Introduction to Scene Design and Construction, Lighting, Sound, Costume, and Makeup. Boston, Mass: McGraw-Hill.

Hashim, D. A. (2012, October 11). [The photograph of John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon is from the debate held in Chicago on September 26, 1960, at the CBS studio.]. Retrieved December 7, 2016, from http://americanhistory.si.edu/sites/default/files/blog_files/a/6a00e553a80e108834017c32703d2d970b-800wi.jpg

Keller, A. (2011, May 6). [Calvin Coolidge Taking the Oath of Office]. Retrieved December 7, 2016, from http://abriefhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/calvin-coolidge.jpg

Martin, T. (2016). Historic Sites. Retrieved from http://historicsites.vermont.gov/directory/coolidge/history

Merica, D. (2015, July 15). [Bill Clinton's life and career]. Retrieved December 8, 2016, from http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/15/politics/bill-clinton-1994-crime-bill/

Soughton, C. (2009, January 17). [Photograph of Lyndon B. Johnson's first inauguration on Air Force One in Dallas, TX.]. Retrieved December 7, 2016, from http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123195557109181999