vermeer

This pair of pictures by Swedish photographer Carl Bengtson strike a deep cord. Their pale, crystal beauty speaks with calm and frankness. They remind me of Vermeer. In the north, fall is falling, and with it comes a longing for beauty that is more than skin-deep. With the waning of sunlight, the cooling of the breeze, we re-collect ourselves. We gear up for winter. We cling to familiarity, to family. The change of seasons anchors us to things that change not. These pictures are so much about the essence of the subjects, in their fully clothed but intimate setting. I'm moved by their fragility. By how at one they are with the somber stillness around them. Fall, exposing our nakedness. May we feel at home, wherever we are. May we belong with the people we are with. May we be happy in our own skin. May we slow down and listen to our hearts. There are all the answers.