The Brown Sisters, Brookline, Massachusetts 2019

This photograph, by Nicholas Nixon, of the Brown sisters in Brookline, Massachusetts, captures something so tender, so vulnerable. Nixon has been photographing these sisters annually for decades, and what strikes me is the intimacy he achieves through a consistent, almost scientific approach. It's the texture of the image, the way the light catches the lines on their faces, the subtle variations in tone, that speak volumes. Look at the second sister from the left; her face is framed by short hair. There’s a directness in her gaze, a quiet strength. The photograph doesn’t hide anything, but instead, celebrates the beauty in aging, in weathering life. Nixon's project reminds me of the work of Bernd and Hilla Becher, who systematically photographed industrial structures. Yet, while the Bechers focused on the architecture of the external world, Nixon explores the internal architecture of family and time. It’s a powerful reminder that art is, at its heart, about seeing, about looking closely, and about finding meaning in the everyday.