The Brown Sisters, Marblehead, Massachusetts 1979

Here’s a photograph by Nicholas Nixon showing the Brown sisters in Marblehead, Massachusetts. It’s a group portrait, but not like a happy family snapshot, you know? There’s an intensity to their gaze, a sense of seriousness that makes you wonder what they’re thinking. I can imagine Nixon wanting to capture not just their likeness, but something deeper, more profound about their connection. Their different outfits – plaid, stripes, solid – create a rhythm across the composition, but it's their faces that really hold your attention. The texture of the photograph itself, the way the light falls on their skin, all add to this feeling of intimacy and vulnerability. It’s like they're sharing a secret with you, daring you to look closer.