Jose Clemente Orozco, New York City Possibly 1933 - 1981

Ansel Adams made this photograph of Jose Clemente Orozco in New York City, and it's the kind of portrait that really gets under your skin. It's not just a likeness; it's an encounter. Adams's use of light and shadow to sculpt Orozco’s face is incredible. The texture of his skin, the way the light catches the lenses of his glasses – you can almost feel the man's presence. And those glasses – they're like windows into another world, reflecting the world back at us, but also concealing something. That mustache, sitting right there in the middle, almost daring you to ignore it. It’s a bold declaration, a dark line underscoring the intensity of his gaze. It reminds me of some of those intense self-portraits by artists like Gustave Courbet, where the artist seems to be challenging you to a duel. This is a reminder that art is a conversation, a push and pull across time.