Among Richard Avedon’s many portraits, one of the most compelling is his 1969 image of Janis Joplin, taken on August 28 at his New York studio. In the frame, Joplin leans slightly toward the camera, hair loose at her shoulders, rings catching the light as her hands lift into relaxed, almost joking fists. The smile reads genuine but not unguarded; the eyes do most of the work. Avedon’s plain backdrop removes context so gesture and micro-expression carry the meaning.