Woman in Flowered Dress, Promenade des Anglais, Riviera Possibly 1934 - 1976

Lisette Model captured this photograph, "Woman in Flowered Dress, Promenade des Anglais, Riviera," at an indeterminate date. I can imagine Model on the Promenade, ready with her camera, alert to the theatre of the street. The woman in the photograph is planted firmly on the bench, gazing out at the world, and she dares Model to take her picture. Model obliges, immortalising the woman in her finery. It's not about being traditionally beautiful, but about presence. The composition is bold, the textures rich. Like Diane Arbus, Model's unflinching gaze captures something raw and real about her subjects. They share an interest in people on the margins, or those, like this woman, who don't conform to conventional ideals. It is a powerful conversation. It feels alive, as if the artist is right there with us, inviting us to reconsider what we think we know about beauty, representation, and the human condition.