Retrato de lo Eterno (Portrait of the Eternal)

Self-taught photographer Manuel Álvarez Bravo was a major figure in the Mexican cultural resistance of the early- to mid-twentieth century and one of Mexico’s most famous photographers. His works have been described as both surrealist and documentary. With his uncanny compositions, Álvarez Bravo’s photographs make the commonplace mysterious, while also adhering to la mexicanidad, or Mexicanness. Although he never offered extensive interpretations of his work, he explained, “My work is more related to Mexican art and Mexican life than to photographic traditions.” Here, his model is the poet, artist, composer, and icon of the revolutionary period Isabel Villaseñor, who at this time, epitomized the beauty and intellect of Mexican women. In this photograph, Álvarez Bravo highlights Villaseñor’s cascading hair as she gazes into a small mirror—an act that is traditionally a symbol of life’s brevity.