Egypt 1963

This gelatin silver print, “Egypt,” was made by Dorothea Lange. It’s so simple, almost stark: a boy riding a donkey, caught in profile against a pale sky. What I love is the way Lange uses light and shadow to flatten and shape the image. Look at the donkey’s body – it’s not just black, but a gradient, fading towards a ghostly white underneath. This isn’t just about documenting a scene; it’s about feeling the weight and form of the animal, the boy perched on top. It’s like Lange is sculpting with light, finding the essence of the moment. There’s a directness here that reminds me of Walker Evans, another photographer who knew how to make the ordinary feel monumental. Both Evans and Lange see the potential to embrace art as ambiguity.