Scurrying Home Possibly 1894 - 1934

Alfred Stieglitz made "Scurrying Home" with a camera, of course, and what's compelling is the way it captures a fleeting moment, a gesture, a kind of purposeful, but somehow burdened, movement. The tonal range in this photograph is incredible, from the almost white sky to the dark, dragging marks in the sand. Look at the way the light defines the figures of the women, their forms solid and heavy against the open landscape. Those ruts in the sand are so evocative; they give a sense of depth and distance, but also speak to the repetitive, workaday journeys of the local inhabitants. It reminds me a little bit of Edward Hopper, maybe because of the way both artists are able to create a mood that is both melancholic and deeply human. This image feels like it's part of an ongoing conversation about how we relate to our environment. Is it about the transience of life? The weight of tradition? Well, it's probably about all of those things, and none of them specifically. And that's what makes it so compelling.