At Play 1938

This is a photograph called At Play, made by Arthur Ellis. It's a monochromatic image featuring a series of hands reaching up, as if in joyful play, toward some horizontal bars or a structure above. I love the drama of the silhouetted forms. I can only imagine what Ellis was thinking when he created this image—maybe trying to capture the ephemeral nature of play, the fleeting moments of joy and connection. He has such a knack for capturing the gestures, freezing them in time. There is an element of shadow play, not unlike the paintings of Caravaggio. It captures something universally human, something about reaching, striving, and connecting, which makes it feel incredibly powerful.