Workers on the New Uruguayan School of Architecture, Montevideo after 1945

Jeanne Mandello's photograph shows workers on the New Uruguayan School of Architecture, Montevideo. Look at this beautiful scene, captured in tones of gray—workers carrying buckets towards us. They are captured in motion and the picture is also still. I love the contrast between the hard labor of these men and the beauty of the photograph. I wonder about the photographer and the workers, all collaborators in building something new. What was it like to be there, on that day, making that picture, building the architecture school? This image is a reminder of all the work it takes to build a building or a school. Mandello’s photograph captures the dignity and strength of the human spirit. Like a painter who composes with brushstrokes, Mandello uses light, shadow, and form to create a balanced and engaging composition, inviting us to reflect on the human condition, the value of labor, and the ongoing pursuit of knowledge and progress.