Merced River, Cliffs of Cathedral Rocks, from Yosemite Valley Portfolio III America, 20th century

Merced River, Cliffs of Cathedral Rocks, from Yosemite Valley Portfolio III

1939

Ansel Adams

(American, 1902–1984)

Image: 28.5 x 23 cm (11 1/4 x 9 1/16 in.); Mounted: 35.7 x 45.8 cm (14 1/16 x 18 1/16 in.); Paper: 28.5 x 23 cm (11 1/4 x 9 1/16 in.)

Gift of Frances P. Taft 2014.418

Location: not on view

This artwork is known to be under copyright.

Description

In 1932 a group of artists on the West Coast formed Group f/64, which advocated a modernist style of straight (unmanipulated) photography characterized by sharp focus, detail, and texture, as well as an emphasis on compositional structure. The group included four photographers in this exhibition: Imogen Cunningham, Dorothea Lange, Edward Weston, and Ansel Adams. Impassioned and inspired by natural beauty, Adams was a staunch activist through his words, deeds, and photographs for the preservation of wilderness. He photographed in Yosemite National Park every year starting in 1916. This shot of Merced River, he recalled, “was made in late autumn, on a chilly morning when the air was crystal clear and the silence impressive.”