The photojournalist Donna Ferrato was first to capture domestic violence in the moment, an experience that changed the course of her career. She began as a photojournalist exploring personal freedom, and the power of romantic and sexual relationships. For New York magazine Ferrato created an photoessay on wealthy, successful couples sharing open relationships. She became friendly with a liberal Swedish couple from New Jersey, and sometimes stayed at their home, sharing family moments and wild parties. One night she heard shouting and ran with her camera to find the couple arguing in the master bathroom. This is one of the photographs from a series documenting of the violence she witnessed. The experience affected Ferrato deeply, and she committed herself to exposing the impact of domestic violence through her work. This was one of the images she chose for her photobook Living with the Enemy, published in 1991.

from Touchstones of the Twentieth Century: A History of Photography at the University of Notre Dame (exhibition, 2020-21)