Three Communion Girls, Brazil

Sebastião Salgado

1981

Gelatin silver print

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Three young girls in white dresses and feathered headdresses stand looking forward against a cloudy sky. Having travelled to over 120 countries during his photographic career, Brazilian photojournalist Sebastiao Salgado sought to capture global inequality and strife through his photographs. Starting his career as an economist, Saldago’s fascination with the effects of globalism on poverty and vulnerable populations drove his work. Seen here, Three Communion Girls, Brazil, depicts three young girls dressed as angels before taking their first communion. It is a celebration during a time of great strife and economic crisis for Brazil with the nation’s economy facing high inflation from extremely high oil prices and a raise in world intere