Sue Davidson 1925

Alfred Stieglitz made this photograph, Sue Davidson, using gelatin silver. The image depicts a young girl with soft, curly hair, wearing a tunic-like garment with a tag pinned to it. I'm imagining Stieglitz carefully composing this shot, considering the light and shadow playing across the girl's face. What was he thinking when he captured this moment? Was he struck by her innocence, or perhaps the hint of melancholy in her eyes? The texture of the photograph itself, with its subtle gradations of gray, adds to the overall mood. It makes you feel a certain way, right? This piece reminds me of other portrait photographers, like Julia Margaret Cameron, who sought to capture something deeper than just a likeness. There is an ongoing conversation among artists about the ways in which we see and represent one another. Each photograph, each painting, is a new offering to this dialogue. It’s about feeling, not just seeing.