Dorothy Norman c. 1931

Alfred Stieglitz captured Dorothy Norman in a photograph, using light and shadow to sculpt her features. The grayscale is so sensitive, it gives the work a tactile quality. Look at the way the light catches her hands, pressed against her face. It’s a gesture that speaks volumes, doesn’t it? It could be anxiety, or deep thought, or maybe she’s just camera shy. Either way, it’s intimate. The texture of her skin, the slight imperfections, all rendered with such clarity. It’s like you could reach out and feel the coolness of the paper, the slight graininess of the photographic emulsion. I love the way Stieglitz doesn’t try to hide anything. He embraces the imperfections, and that’s what makes it so real, so human. It reminds me a little of some of the portraits by Käthe Kollwitz. Both artists have a similar intensity and emotional honesty. It’s all about feeling, not just seeing. And isn't that what art is all about?