In 2023, the year that I created Solitude, my husband was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic melanoma. In the weeks that followed this devastating news, this muscular, athletic man lost nearly a quarter of his bodyweight and went from daily bodybuilding workouts to being completely disabled. This piece expresses the fear and uncertainty we felt during this time, both through its brooding, introspective subject, and its subdued, low-value palette. Since that time, however, through nearly miraculous medical breakthroughs and his own indomitable will, my husband has begun to fight his way back to health and vigor. The image of the bodybuilder, therefore, has become a celebration of his strength, grit, and determination.