The frontality in portraiture is considered a symbol of the eternal. According to Bourdieu, “by adopting the order and position of the characters in Byzantine mosaics, the peasants posing for wedding photographs escape the power of photography to dissolve the real by temporizing it.”⁠

Furthermore, Bourdieu argues that “the meaning of the pose adopted for the photograph can only be understood concerning the symbolic system in which it is inserted, which defines the peasant the conduct and manners appropriate in relations with others. Photographs generally present the characters in the front, in the center of the image, straight and standing, at a respectful distance, motionless in a dignified attitude. Posing means being caught in a position that is not, and is not intended to be, “natural.” One always manifests the same intention by straightening one’s person, putting on one’s best clothes, and refusing to be surprised in a sloppy outfit and an everyday occupation. Striking a pose means respecting oneself and demanding respect.

(Bourdieu, Pierre, a c. di. Photography: A Middle-Brow Art. Stanford, Cal: Stanford Univ. Pr, 1990)

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