Accession Number
1985/1.125.6

Title
The Swing

Artist(s)
André Kertész

Artist Nationality
American (North American)

Object Creation Date
1917, printed 1980

Medium & Support
gelatin silver print on paper

Dimensions
9 15/16 in x 8 1/16 in (25.24 cm x 20.48 cm);14 5/16 in x 19 5/16 in (36.35 cm x 49.05 cm);9 15/16 in x 8 1/16 in (25.24 cm x 20.48 cm);9 11/16 in x 7 5/8 in (24.61 cm x 19.37 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Edward M. Strauss

Subject matter
In this tender image, Kertész photographs an exchange between two young children, a girl of about three, and a baby who hangs from a makeshift swing suspended from the upper frame of a crumbling doorway. While the humble surroundings indicate a life of hardship, the spirited pose of the three-year-old and the moment of entertainment that the photograph captures offer a cheerful if somewhat poignant interpretation of life in Esztergom. This image was included in a portfolio of 15 photographs entitled "A Hungarian Memory," which was published by Hyperion Press in 1980. 

Physical Description
Photograph of a young girl standing next to a baby in a swing that hangs from the upper frame of a doorway.

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
children (people by age group)
documentary photography
doorways
play (recreation)
swings
villages