Village scene--Filming "Steibruch" 1942

Robert Frank made this gelatin silver print, Village scene--Filming "Steibruch", at an unknown date. It's a small picture, just 13 by 18.3 centimeters, but it packs a punch. The gray scale here is so rich, it almost feels like color. Look at the way the light falls on the buildings, creating these deep shadows and bright highlights. It’s like Frank is sculpting with light, shaping the scene into something both familiar and strange. I love the graininess too; it adds a kind of texture, like you could reach out and feel the roughness of the village. There’s a real sense of movement and energy in this shot. You can almost hear the chatter of the crowd, the whirring of the film equipment. It reminds me of some of the early street photography, that same feeling of capturing a fleeting moment in time. Artists like Helen Levitt come to mind, with their knack for finding beauty in the everyday. Ultimately, this photograph asks more questions than it answers, which, for me, is the mark of great art.