23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Artistic
The Gesture,
The opening manifesto of the CHIAROSCURO series, this image captures a spontaneous human motion transformed into a universal dramatic act. The strict Tenebrism technique, echoing Baroque masters, sculpts the hand and partially obscured face out of deep shadow. The gesture remains profoundly ambiguous—is it a motion of defense, plea, or sudden revelation—challenging the viewer to decipher the moment's visceral emotional tension.
Photo Detail
| Date Taken: | 11.2025 |
| Date Uploaded: | 11.2025 |
| Photo Location: | Germany |
| Copyright: | © Maria Vlashi |