Child in a Beret, N.Y.C. 1962

Diane Arbus made this photograph, Child in a Beret, N.Y.C., with her medium format camera, and you can almost feel her getting close to the subject, physically there, intimate. The first thing that strikes me about the image is its texture: the soft velvety feel of the child's coat, the fur of the little animal in her lap, and the stark contrast with the sharp blades of grass surrounding her. It’s all about touch, isn't it? I keep thinking about the dark areas, the background foliage is a bit like a painting, smudged and blurred, pulling the eye back to the crisp details of the figure. There's something about the child's gaze, direct and unflinching, that reminds me of some of the portraits by Alice Neel. Both artists have this incredible ability to capture the vulnerability and the strength of their subjects, all at once. Ultimately, it's a reminder that art is always a conversation, echoing across time and space.