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| Dessau, Germany (April 1945) - Photo from MoMa |
While looking through the multiple
photographs of Henri Cartier- Bresson, my eyes were immediately drawn
to this photograph. It is full of emotion, capturing the essence of
the war, destruction and sadness. The composition is perfect, a delicate grieving lady laying down in
the middle of a huge amount of rubble. A tender
figure on top of such destruction. It makes me wonder if this was
where her house stood, or if some loved one died in this area. It draws my mind to ask questions, and to ponder about wars. The moment captured is full of emotion. Even though the viewer can only see half of her
face, and the rest is covered by her hair, it is still possible to feel and grasp her sadness, grief and despair. The expression on her face, her mouth, the position of
the arms and legs, as if she is wrapping herself. The contrast
between the softness of the fabric of her clothes and skin, against
the rougher and sharper stones, provides a variety of textures. The
point of view chosen by the photographer is perfect, looking straight
at the grieving lady, allowing the viewer to see the expression on
her face, and "feel" her pain.
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| Jerónimos Monastery, Belém, Lisbon, Portugal (1955) - Photo from MoMa |
One of the reasons that lead me to
choose this photograph was the location where it was taken, the
Jeronimos Monastery, in Lisbon, Portugal. I grew up in Lisbon,
Portugal and looking at this photograph brings me a sense of home, of
being there with the two figures, in this building so familiar to me.
Also, it is quite interesting how the photographer was able to
capture such an private and intimate moment, the moment of confession
in such a large building. The Jeronimos Monastery is well known by
its magnificent architecture, and even thought the main focus of this
photograph is these two people, I am able to get a glimpse of the
high ceilings, the big windows and the decorated columns. The framing
becomes very important, because it allows me to see more than the
moment of confession. The use of shallow depth of field reinforces
the importance of these two figures but entices my curiosity to see
what is behind the columns, the shape of the building, how long is
the monastery. With both figures dressed in dark clothes, it creates a very
strong contrast with the light stone walls, and the light that comes
through the window. The faint lines on the floor coming from the two
figures all the way to the benches on the other side, create a path
connecting the two sides of the image. These two figures very close
to each other, make me wonder if she was whispering, as if they
couldn't make any noise. In this very intimate moment, also who was
talking at this time, the lady confessing her sins, or the priest
giving her his blessing?
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