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