Cate Reilly, The Fruit Vendor, Osh Bazaar, Bishkek, July 2026 (DOCUMENTARY & STREET 2026)

A fruit vendor places a ripe apricot into a bowl standing on the table of her stall at the Osh Bazaar in Bishkek, capital of the Kyrgyz Republic. The scene – unlike much else in this overwhelmingly chaotic marketplace – was tranquil, and the play of light and jewel-like colours made it seem like something Vermeer might have painted, had he ever travelled in Central Asia. Interestingly, the vibrant blue pigment he used in paintings like “Woman in Blue Reading a Letter,” “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” and “The Milkmaid” is ultramarine, made from crushed lapis lazuli sourced from the region (what is now known as Afghanistan). 21 July 2026

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.