Dimensions: image: 10.3 x 6 cm (4 1/16 x 2 3/8 in.) sheet: 11.6 x 7 cm (4 9/16 x 2 3/4 in.)
Copyright: National Gallery of Art: CC0 1.0
This snapshot, “Going home and still sleeping,” was taken on July 17th, 1938, we don’t know by whom, but isn’t it amazing? The beauty here lies in its blurriness, that soft focus; it feels like memory itself. It’s hard to make out details, but there’s a sense of movement, of being in transit, caught between places and states of mind. The light is dreamy and indistinct, as if everything is dissolving. Look at the way the bright light almost obliterates the details, turning the figure into a soft, ethereal presence. It’s like a half-remembered dream, full of longing and nostalgia. It reminds me a little bit of the early photographs by someone like Julia Margaret Cameron who was also interested in capturing something fleeting. Ultimately, this photograph is about capturing a state of being, of finding beauty in the mundane, and embracing the poetry of everyday life. It’s an invitation to slow down, to notice the small moments, and to find wonder in the ordinary.
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