Ennui - a photo on Flickriver

Ennui

Ennui (noun, originally French):
a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement; "he succumbed to ennui and despair"
Synonyms: boredom, tedium, lethargy, lassitude, langour.

The last thing I wanted here was a posed photograph. So I waited for the right moment to capture the mood. I didn't have to wait long, and the moment I pressed the shutter I knew what this one would be called.

There is a very famous painting by Walter Sickert in the Tate Gallery in London that captures a similar mood. It was painted in 1914 on the eve of when the whole world would be engulfed in conflagration, and Sickert (ever the dramatic painter) called it "Ennui". www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/sickert-ennui-n03846

The couple in Sickert's painting are both engaged in deep thought, but in private world's of their own internal tedium. And so are my parents in this photograph.

As a loving son I find it a difficult one to view. I can see the pain and the ennui, not only on my father's face (having already endured six weeks of continued pain and the struggle to walk again, and of course that endless boredom of being in a hospital ward), but also my mother's frustration that she can't have him home and can offer no help.

But there is a part of my mind that allows me to compartmentalise my thoughts. Medical professionals must have it. So in this instant of taking the photograph I am only thinking of one thing: How do I capture the priceless moment that reveals a facet of the human condition? It's the same question the great Henri Cartier‑Bresson asked every time he pressed the shutter.

Here is an image we can all relate to in some way.

Thank you again for your kind words of support.

Taken in: Australia / Victoria / Parkville (show map)

Taken on: December 12, 2020

Tags:

Luminosity7

Nikon D850

Tasmania

Australia

Melbourne

Royal Melbourne Hospital

Rehab Ward

Room 25

Ennui

Convalescence

Walter Sickert (1860-1942)

Henri Cartier‑Bresson (1908-2004) « less

Sets appears in: • Personal 500 • Odds & Ends more » • People • Royal Park Hospital « less

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Camera: Nikon D850, f/6.3, 1/30 sec, 18mm, ISO 500 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D850
Aperture:	f/6.3
Exposure Time:	0.033 sec (1/30)
Focal Length:	18mm
ISO:	500
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Ver.1.03
Show full info

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