Lady at a Masked Ball with Two Roses on Her Dress, New York City

Artist Diane Arbus (American, 1923 - 1971)

Printer Neil Selkirk (American, born England, 1947)

Date1967; printed ca. 1975

MediumGelatin silver print

DimensionsImage: 14 5/16 × 14 5/8 inches (36.35 × 37.15 cm)
Sheet: 19 15/16 × 15 15/16 inches (50.64 × 40.48 cm)

Credit LineGift of Hallmark Cards, Inc.

Object number2005.27.602

InscribedOn sheet verso, upper right, black stamp with black pen: "A Diane Arbus photograph 14/75 / title LADY AT A MASKED BALL WITH TWO / ROSES ON HER DRESS, NYC 1967 / print by NEIL SELKIRK / [signature of Doon Arbus]"

MarkingsOn sheet verso, upper left, in black stamp: "Not to be reproduced in any way without / written permission from Doon Arbus."; On sheet verso, lower left corner, in pencil: "12101"; On sheet verso, lower right, in pencil: "5".

Edition/State/Proofed. 14/75

On View

Not on view

Collections

Photography

Terms

DescriptionImage of a woman wearing a strapless evening gown with two roses near the neckline of the dress and a mask adorned with lace, pearls, and roses.Exhibition History

Exhibition History

The Human Expression: 20^th Century Photographs. Hallmark Photographic Collection, Kansas City, MO, Amarillo Art Center, Amarillo, TX, November 17, 1982 – January 16, 1983, no cat.

New Acquisitions to the Hallmark Photographic Collection, 1980-1983. Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, April 1 – May 1, 1983.

Faces: an Exhibition from the Hallmark Photographic Collection. Whatcom Museum of History & Art, Bellingham WA, September 15 - November 14, 1983, no cat.

20th-Century Works from the Hallmark Photographic Collection. Cottey College, Nevada, MO, January 9-27, 1984, no cat.

Faces: an Exhibition from the Hallmark Photographic Collection. William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art Atkins Museum of Fine Arts, Kansas City, MO, September 16 - October 21, 1984, no. 100.

Twentieth Century Masters of Photography, 1900-1985. Center for the Arts, Vero Beach, FL, March 28 – 2 May 2, 1986, Albany Museum of Art, Albany, Georgia, May 25 – June 22, 1986, Asheville Museum of Art, Asheville, NC, August 10 – September 21, 1986, Columbus Museum of Arts and Science, Columbus, GA, October 19 – November 30, 1986, Clara M. Eagle Gallery, Murray State University, Murray, KY, January 4 - February 15, 1987, Roanoke Museum of Fine Arts, Roanoke, VA, March 15 - April 26, 1987, St. Louis Artists’ Guild, May 24 - July 5, 1987, Birmingham Museum of Art, July 26 - September 6, 1987.

A Quarter Century of American Photography, 1964-1989. Federal Reserve Bank, Kansas City, MO, November 21, 1989 – January 26, 1990, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, February 27 – March 23, 1990, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, April 12 – May 25, 1990, no cat.

Women Photographers. Stephens College, Columbia MO, January 22 – February 21, 1991, no cat.

New Frontiers: American Photography Since 1960. Light Factory, Charlotte, NC, November 5 - December 17, 1993, no cat.

Rotation 1. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, June 17 – October 25, 2007, no cat.

Rotation 9. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, October 20, 2010 – March 13, 2011, no cat.

Gallery Label

Diane Arbus often made portraits that illuminated what she described as “the gap between intention and effect”—that is, the disjuncture between people’s self-perception and their outward appearance. This image typifies Arbus’s cool, critical approach to her subjects. She took this close-up portrait using a harsh flash, separating the subject from a dark background and obscuring context. Arbus’s generic title underscores the notion that the “lady at a masked ball” is a social type, rather than a unique individual. This aesthetic recalls photographs by Arbus’s former teacher, Lisette Model.

Provenance

Hallmark Cards, Inc., Kansas City, MO, 1981;
Given by Hallmark Cards, Inc. to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 2005.

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