Joe Louis, New York Possibly 1948 - 1999

Irving Penn made this gelatin silver print of Joe Louis in New York. He's right in the corner, up close, vulnerable even. But Penn's got him up on a throne-like draped surface, smack bang in the center. You can sense the light source coming from the right, casting a gradient shadow on the wall that makes the boxer pop against the grayscale. I can imagine Penn playing around with his camera settings and studio lighting. Does that make sense? The sharp focus brings out every detail in the texture of his skin. It's like a sculptural study of volume and light, but he also captures something really tender. I can imagine Penn wanting to make the subject feel at ease in the studio. I can just imagine the kind of conversation they might have had.