Young Woman and Boy, Toluca
Paul Strand
Description
Subject Matter:
This is a double portrait of a young woman and boy from Toluca, Mexico. The subjects stand against a wall with peeling white paint. The woman stands with her back turned toward the young boy, her head turned toward the camera. She furrows her brow and clasps her hand around her shawl, which is draped over her shoulders. The boy looks from beneath his straw sun hat, directly toward the lens. The boy's white shirt collar is visible beneath another layer of clothing, perhaps a poncho. Strand used a prism lens to disguise his intentions when photographing his human subjects during his time in Mexico. In order to capture his images of people his lens directed the light at a right angle, while appearing to shoot from the front.
This photograph is from Paul Strand's The Mexican Portfolio published in 1967 by Paul Strand. The portfolio consists of a series of 20 images depicting Mexico's people, architecture, landscape, and churches. It was first published in 1940 under the name Photographs of Mexico, and reprinted under Strand's supervision in 1967 as The Mexican Portfolio.
Physical Description:
This is a photograph of a young woman and a young boy. They lean against a wall and look toward the camera.
Usage Rights:
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