Manuel Álvarez Bravo
Bailarina
No date
Silver on gelatin
27 x 32.5 cm
FEMSA Collection. ©Archive Manuel Álvarez Bravo, S.C.
Beyond capturing a precise moment, photography can capture gestures that, in turn, speak of intention. This dancer portrayed by Manuel Álvarez Bravo does not show her face or much of her body—only her thighs, stomach, and forearms. Even so, the skill, dedication, and discipline of Álvarez Bravo’s craft render the dancer’s hand gesture the focal point of the piece.
Many works address ballet and, specifically, dancers as their central theme. Frequently, the subject is approached as a representation of beauty, art, and classic tradition in relation to the discipline involved in the practice. Details within these images can be described as classical or even painterly. But what is there beyond the body in action, the costumes, the stage? The responses may reveal messages not apparent at first glance.
Colección FEMSA has an image bank of the works that comprise it—a resource intended for researchers, publishers, and art institutions. The Collection is open to lending requests for shows in Mexico and other countries.
If you need a high-resolution image or would like to request a work on-loan, please send an email to coleccionfemsa@difusion.femsa.com