Enlightenment I by Cinzia Ryan is a photographic print of three white Calla lilies in a sepia tone. Two of the flowers are not fully visible and the third is coming to full bloom. The stalks are a dark brown with a smooth texture. They turn lighter in color at the top as they give way to the white petals of the flowers. The left side of the print has a lighter tone than the right, indicating a source of light. Sepia toning is a chemical treatment applied to black and white photographs to give them a warmer tone. The chemicals convert the traditional metallic silver in the print to a sulfide based compound which can be applied in varying degrees of intensity. The process began in the 1880s to make photographs look better but also to slow down the aging of a photograph. Today the process continues as an artistic statement that provides a softer alternative to black and white photography.
