Accession Number
1995/2.6

Title
Valpinçon Bather

Artist(s)
McDermott & McGough

Artist Nationality
American (North American)

Object Creation Date
1988

Medium & Support
photogravure on paper

Dimensions
24 3/4 in x 20 3/8 in (62.9 cm x 51.7 cm);28 1/8 in x 22 1/8 in (71.4 cm x 56.2 cm)

Credit Line
Museum purchase made possible by a gift from Helmut Stern

Subject matter
This photograph is an appropriation of Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres' work by the same name, The Valpinçon Bather. This photograph is from a 1994 portfolio "The Metallic Plate: The Art of Photography," which included 10 images in an edition of 30. McDermott and McGough are a pair of artists known for their collaborative photography, film, sculpture and painting. Their photographs are taken with various cameras dating from the early nineteenth century, and use a variety of historical techniques to produce their final works. Not only do they reference the past in their visual works, but they integrate nineteenth-century life into their own lives. From their apartment decor, apparel, choice of vehicle, hobbies, to their avoidance of technology, they have made their lives, in their own words, as if they are in a time machine. Despite their devotion to the past, they astutely observe themes and social concerns of the current period and include them in their works.

Physical Description
A photograph of a nude man sitting on a bed, his back turned toward the viewer. Cloth drapes over the end of the bed, curtains drape over the walls, and a battle helmet sits at his feet. 

Primary Object Classification
Photograph

Collection Area
Photography

Rights
If 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
appropriation (imagery)
bathers
combat helmets
draperies (curtains)
drapery
modern and contemporary art
nudes
nudes (representations)
seated
sitting