Roses, Mexico (section)

Tina Modotti captured this close-up of roses in Mexico back in 1925, and even in soft grays you can almost feel the velvet texture of each petal. The flowers fill the entire frame, curling and folding into one another so that the eye gets lost in their layers. There is no background, no stem, no vase, just the blossoms themselves, photographed so tightly that they almost become an abstract pattern of light and shadow.

Modotti was an Italian-born photographer who found her artistic home in Mexico during the 1920s, a time when the country was buzzing with creative and political energy. She learned her craft alongside the famous photographer Edward Weston, and this image shows the same careful attention to form and detail that defined their circle. Interestingly, this photo of roses became one of the most valuable photographs ever sold when a print fetched a record price at auction in 1991, proving that a simple subject, treated with real care, can leave a lasting mark.