Analysis of Sifnos, Greece (1961) by Henri Cartier-Bresson: This is a very interesting picture by Henri Cartier-Bresson. It depicts a child, running up a hill between houses with shuttered doors and windows at haphazard angles, on the greek island of Sifnos. There is a lot of variation in tones, from dark shadow on the left wall to the brightness of the buildings above, which is emphasised by the monochrome image. There is a dark, cracked staircase in the shadow, and a child at the top.
In this picture, the lines of the staircase draw the eye towards the child, who seems to be running uphill, framed between the crooked buildings. In addition, the shapes of the shadows seem to draw us to her, who is centred in the image. This is a good example of the decisive moment- an idea Henri Cartier-Bresson pioneered. A split second too late or too soon, and it would be ruined.
However, we don't know where exactly she is running. The child is the only person in the picture, making it even more significant in this image. We have no idea of why she is running either. In my opinion, this makes the image even more alluring- the more you look into it, the more questions arise- Who is the person, why are they running and where are they going just to name a few.
This sense of mystery is heightened because the child's line of sight is around the corner, at something we cannot see.
Like much of Cartier-Bresson's work, it uses an aspect of everyday life (a child playing) and shows the mysterious or magical aspects of our lives. This is what makes it interesting, seemingly capturing the spontaneous, mysterious nature of childhood.