Georgia O'Keeffe—Hands and Horse Skull 1931

This gelatin silver print, Georgia O'Keeffe—Hands and Horse Skull, was made by Alfred Stieglitz. The light and shade play here, a bit like when you’re mixing paint and trying to get the right tone. Stieglitz uses a full tonal range, from bright whites to deep blacks, to give form to the skull, and to contrast it with the hands. I’m struck by how the smooth surface of the print enhances the tactile quality of the image. You can almost feel the dryness of the bone, the slight give of the skin. Look at how the fingers curve around the eye socket, so delicate. It's as if the hands are trying to understand something about the skull, or about what it means to hold life and death in one’s hands. This image reminds me of some of Georgia O’Keefe's paintings, especially her bone and flower paintings, they share a similar sense of intimacy and scale. It’s a study in contrasts, a moment of quiet contemplation.