Rebecca Salsbury Strand 1922

This photograph of Rebecca Salsbury Strand, now at the Art Institute of Chicago, was made by Alfred Stieglitz at an unknown date. Looking at this, I imagine Stieglitz composing the shot, considering the light filtering through the trees. What was it like for him to make this? Perhaps he aimed to capture the way the light kisses her skin, her body twisting back towards him, meeting his gaze. He would have been thinking about line, form, and the interplay of light and shadow, but also about intimacy, trust, and vulnerability. The soft tonal gradations speak to a delicate balance, a subtle shift in the emotional tenor of the image. And though this is not a painting, Stieglitz was concerned with the visual language of painting, taking cues from earlier artists, and innovating on what he saw. I think making any kind of art is always a conversation, a dance between tradition and innovation. We painters can definitely learn a thing or two from photographers. Both search to capture a fleeting moment, a truth that resonates beyond the surface.