Marie-Laure de Noailles et Léonor Fini 1946

Brassai captured Marie-Laure de Noailles and Léonor Fini with his camera, preserving a moment, and it’s a moment that now speaks to us. The high contrast between the women’s dark dresses and the pale feathers in their masks immediately draws you in. It’s a study in contrasts, dark and light, hidden and revealed. The textures feel almost palpable. You can almost feel the delicate feathers, the smooth fabric of their dresses, and the cool stone of the pillar behind them. I keep coming back to the feathers. They have a lightness and a sense of movement that almost feels as if they might take flight. Think of Man Ray, another artist who embraced the magic of photography. Like his work, this photograph invites us to consider the way in which photography can transform a moment into something lasting. Art is never finished, only abandoned.