Although Weston began as a Pictorialist, he radically transformed his style in the mid-1920s to incorporate elements of modernism. Weston met with Alfred Stieglitz and Paul Strand in New York, and then spent most of the next three years in Mexico with the photographer Tina Modotti. During this period of growth and self-evaluation, Weston and Modotti forged relationships with key figures in the Mexican avant-garde. Upon returning to Califonia, Weston developed the hallmarks of his mature work: structural clarity, a penchant for abstract forms, simplicity in presentation, and the use of sharp focus. His closeup photographs of carefully lit everyday objects set against plain backgrounds show the beautiful and stark abstract forms inherent in nature, and imbue the mundane object with a poetic grandeur. On the reverse of this work, Weston inscribed the photograph to Ella Winter (nicknamed Peter), who was the wife of the journalist Lincoln Steffens: — As you like it — — but this is a pepper — — nothing else — — to the impure all things are impure — Peter dear — xxx Edward