Photograph 1910

This photograph was made by Thomas Eakins sometime in his lifetime. It's a study in light and shadow, a dance between what's revealed and what's hidden. Look at the way the light catches the knitted texture of the hat, each tiny stitch a world of its own, while the shadows play across the face, softening the features, creating a sense of mystery. You can almost feel the stillness of the moment, the quiet contemplation. That slightly mournful turn of the head, the soft focus, it reminds me a little of some of the early modernist photographers like Julia Margaret Cameron, who were also interested in using the camera to capture something beyond the surface of things. What is this person thinking? What are they feeling? It's all there in the shadows, waiting to be discovered. Ultimately, it's up to us, the viewers, to bring our own experiences to the work and create our own meaning.