Ingrid Bergman, Stromboli, Italy after 1949

This is Gordon Parks’ photograph of Ingrid Bergman in Stromboli, Italy. It's a black and white image, and the first thing you notice is Bergman’s beautiful face in the foreground, her eyes are looking down, contemplative. Behind her are three women dressed in black, their heads covered. They’re walking away, almost like figures in a dream. You can feel the weight of the place, its history, its mood. The sharp contrast and the composition, dividing the space, puts Bergman in stark relief, separating her from the others, as if she is the object of their judgement. Parks might have been thinking about how an outsider, like Bergman, might feel in such a place, perhaps even inviting us to consider the cultural and personal complexities of the image. It’s a beautiful, haunting picture, and I can imagine Parks carefully framing this shot, waiting for just the right moment. It's a quiet, powerful work, showing the subtle dramas of everyday life.