Julia Hall McCune

c. 1897

Clarence H. White

(American, 1871–1925)

Culture

America

Medium

platinum print with pencil

Measurements

Image: 20.6 x 14.6 cm (8 1/8 x 5 3/4 in.); Matted: 45.7 x 35.6 cm (18 x 14 in.); Framed: 30.5 x 35.6 cm (12 x 14 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of John Flory, Elizabeth Flory Kelly, and Phoebe Flory 1980.135

You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.

Location

Not on view

Description

Clarence H. White experimented with an array of artistic media that blurred the lines between photography, drawing, and printmaking. Here are two examples of that experimentation: a platinum print on the left and a photogravure on the right. White was likely drawn to both processes for their broad tonal range and interaction of image and paper. To create platinum prints, a light-sensitive liquid emulsion is applied to and absorbed by the paper. The image forms within the paper’s fibers, resulting in a matte appearance. Because photogravures are printed like an etching, the image is formed with ink impressed onto the paper’s surface.