Accession Number1975/2.98
TitleModel
Artist(s)James Van Der ZeeArtist NationalityAmerican (North American)Object Creation Date1927Medium & Supportgelatin silver print on paperDimensions 7 in x 5 in (17.78 cm x 12.7 cm);14 5/16 in x 19 5/16 in (36.35 cm x 49.05 cm)
Credit LineMuseum PurchaseSubject matterThis studio portrait by Van Der Zee is one of many images taken between the early 1900s through the 1940s, in which he documented the lives of Harlem residents. His work was discovered in the late 1960s for the controversial exhibit
Harlem On My Mind at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, in 1969. This exhibition drew attention to his work for the first time. His work has since been praised for its aesthetic and style, which grew independently from popular movements at the time. His work offers a picturing of African American middle class life from the perspective of a conventional bourgeois portrait studio, offering alternatives to the dominant depictions of the time period.
Physical DescriptionA studio portrait of a young African American woman in 1920s apparel, including a short hairstyle, stockings, necklace, and dress. She stands with her left leg resting on a bench with her right arm akimbo.
Primary Object ClassificationPhotographCollection AreaPhotographyRightsIf you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit
http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Keywords
African American
Entertainers
Figures
benches (furniture)
dresses (garments)
fashion photography
lingerie
models
modern and contemporary art
necklace
necklaces
pumps (shoes)
standing
stockings
stools
studio portraits
women (female humans)