Portrait of a woman in headscarf, New York
Artist
James Van Der Zee
(American, 1886 - 1983)
Date1926
MediumGelatin silver print
DimensionsImage: 9 3/8 × 7 1/2 inches (23.83 × 19.05 cm)
Sheet: 9 15/16 × 7 15/16 inches (25.22 × 20.14 cm)
Sheet: 9 15/16 × 7 15/16 inches (25.22 × 20.14 cm)
Credit LineGift of the Hall Family Foundation
Object number2015.67.111
SignedSignature on image recto, lower left, on negative: "VANDERZEE / N.Y.C. / 1926"
Inscribednone
MarkingsOn sheet verso, upper left, in pencil: "Halmiton" [?];
On sheet verso, upper left, black stamp: "G.G.G. Photo Studios, Inc. / 109 W. 135th St.";
On sheet verso, upper right, in pencil: "FT1172";
On sheet verso, center, blue stamp: "GGG PHOTO STUDIO / 272 LENOX AVE / [? faded] N.Y.";
On sheet verso, bottom, black stamp: "G.G.G. Photo Studios, Inc. / 109 W. 135th St.";
On sheet verso, lower right, in pencil: "JVZ-14529"
On View
Not on viewCollections
DescriptionHand-colored posed portrait of African-American woman standing confidently with hands on hips in front of a cardboard studio prop resembling a stone wall. She's wearing a dress with an apron and head scarf.Gallery LabelJames Van Der Zee was an African American photographer active during the Harlem Renaissance, an artistic and cultural movement of the 1920s. He photographed the vibrant black community both in and out of the studio. For portraits, he softened focus and hand colored his prints to achieve an aura of glamour. Most of his clients were affluent members of the black middle class, but all portraits received the same respectful attention to detail. Although the woman pictured here is not elegantly dressed, it doesn’t seem to matter: Van Der Zee has perfectly captured her confidence and spirit.
The Hall Family Foundation, Kansas City, MO, 2015;
Their gift to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 2015.
Their gift to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 2015.
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