Pictorialism: Women Photographers

Anne W. Brigman, The Heart of the Storm, 1912, silver print

The Heart of the Storm is an incredibly visually striking photograph. The image is definitely very painterly- one can barely tell that this is a photograph upon first glance. This photo fits in perfectly with the pictorialist movement; it looks so much like a painting that it almost appears as if it contains brush strokes. This image is very powerful. Two figures are embracing one another in the midst of a storm. I'm not quite sure what the intended subject matter here is, but when I look at this photo I feel a great sense of sorrow. However, I also feel a hint of hope. These two figure are caught in the heart of the storm, yet they still have eachother to cling to, and that is where the hope comes in. I wonder how Brigman captured this image, because this is just such a stunning shot and even today this image would be a difficult moment to capture.