Untitled (Collaborators, St. Tropez, France) after 1944

This is a photograph, taken by Constance Stuart Larrabee, sometime in the mid-20th century, of collaborators, in St. Tropez, France. Look at the woman’s face, her eyes. See the way she holds the man who weeps into a cloth? What could she be thinking at this moment, I wonder? Is it shame, forgiveness, or fear? Larrabee captures something so deeply human and complex here. There’s an undeniable intimacy. The texture and tone create a certain mood that I can almost feel. What does it mean to document such a loaded moment? It’s a brave thing, and I think of other artists like Leon Golub who unflinchingly depict moments of conflict and violence. It's a vital, if unsettling, part of the artistic conversation. What would we know of ourselves otherwise?