A photograph by Erwin Blumenfeld

Title: Untitled, ca. 1940, by Erwin Blumenfeld (1897-1969).

A great artist and innovator in photography, Erwin Blumenfeld moved to the States and while working for the fashion industry in the 40s and 50s, he managed to push the borders of what was known and accepted until then as a fashion photograph. He experimented in the darkroom and came up with stunning results.

The above photograph, which is one of my favorites, is actually not only a fashion photograph but a philosophical statement at the same time. Combining the negative and the developed print in one photograph, he brings out the duality and even the mortality of his subject. He makes a statement about the passing of beauty or the dark side that we always keep buried deep within. It's perfectly fitting that Erwin Blumenfeld never gave it a title. No title could do justice to this work of art.