Nora Kenneally, widow, County Clare, Ireland  1954

This is a photograph of Nora Kenneally, a widow from County Clare in Ireland, taken by Dorothea Lange. What strikes me is the way Lange uses light and shadow, almost like a painter building up layers of tone. It’s a beautiful dance between what’s revealed and what’s hidden. Look at the wall behind her. It's not just a flat backdrop; it’s got this incredible texture, almost like a Rothko painting, rough and uneven. And then there’s Nora herself, her hands clasped, her face turned towards the light. You can see the lines etched by time and hardship, but there's also a quiet strength in her gaze. It’s like Lange is saying, "Here is a life, a story, written in the very fabric of this woman and her surroundings.” It reminds me a bit of Käthe Kollwitz, that same unflinching gaze at the realities of life. It's about empathy, about seeing and acknowledging the human condition. It’s open ended, you know? It asks more questions than it answers.