Untitled (Collaborators, St. Tropez, France) after 1944

Constance Stuart Larrabee made this photograph in St. Tropez, France, capturing a moment of collaboration, or at least, a mass of people together in one place. The way the light falls—or doesn't fall—across the scene tells a story of its own. The palette is almost entirely grayscale. It pushes your focus to the composition and texture. Look at the buildings lining the street. Their surfaces are weathered, aged, and marked by history. Each tone speaks volumes about the past, about time. The people themselves are part of the landscape, blending in, while simultaneously creating a dynamic surge forward. The buildings on either side rise high above the procession. Larrabee’s composition isn’t about perfection, but capturing the feel of the moment. In some ways, I'm reminded of the paintings of Jacob Lawrence, who also used a muted palette to describe similar scenes of everyday life.