Autoportrait - Boulevard Saint-Jacques, Paris 14ème 1932

Brassai took this self-portrait on Boulevard Saint-Jacques in Paris using photography, of course. What strikes me about this image is the solitude of the artist at work, the dedication it takes to set up a shot like this at night, alone, with all that equipment. There's a real physicality to photography, the way the body relates to the equipment, the street, the light, and I think you can feel that here. The textures in this image are amazing, from the sleek, cold surface of the street to the rough tweed of Brassai's coat. Note how the camera's tripod legs sink slightly into the ground, a lovely detail that shows the weight and effort involved in making this image. And then there’s that cigarette, jutting out from his face like a final, defiant mark. Brassai reminds me a little of Eugène Atget, another photographer who documented Paris with a solitary vision. Both of them teach us that art is often about seeing the world in a unique way, and having the guts to show it to everyone else.