punctum

Definitions

1. A sharp tip of any part of the anatomy; a point or other small area.
2. A detail in a photograph that captures the viewer's attention and evokes an emotional response or personal connection beyond the intended subject.
3. A neume representing a single tone.

Equivalents

Examples

“Thus, from what has been stated, we see⟳ that neither the white puncta nor the minute white branchwork of lines were ever tubular.”

“[…]the punctum is something that is seen by the viewer, without it being shown to them by the photographer. As such, it functions, according to Fried, as an “ontological guarantee⟳” (553) of a given photograph’s nontheatricality.”

“Barthes describes the punctum (the nonconnotative or denotative meaning) of the photograph (or movie still) in such a manner; the detail relevant or not relevant to the image's overall meaning becomes the focus⟳ of an otherwise forgettable picture […]”

CEFR level