Edmund Wilson, New York 1947

Irving Penn made this photograph of Edmund Wilson in New York using what looks like a pretty straightforward photographic process, but it's anything but. The image has a somber, almost weighty feel, doesn’t it? The texture of the backdrop and the surface Wilson rests on feels tactile, like you could reach out and feel its grain. Look at the way the light catches on the planes of Wilson's face, his stern expression. The choice of black and white is so important here. It strips away the distractions of color, focusing our attention on form and texture, the very structure of the thing. Then consider the composition, the way Wilson is positioned. It’s not just a snapshot; it's a deliberate construction, Penn really considered it. It reminds me a little of some of August Sander's portraits, that same kind of direct, unvarnished gaze. But where Sander was interested in types, Penn seems to be after something more individual, more elusive. Isn't it amazing how a simple photograph can hold so much?