Near the River at Greenville, Mississippi America, 20th century

Near the River at Greenville, Mississippi

1984

William Eggleston

(American, 1939-)

chromogenic process color print (Ektacolor)

Image: 32.7 x 49.4 cm (12 7/8 x 19 7/16 in.); Paper: 40.6 x 50.7 cm (16 x 19 15/16 in.); Matted: 50.8 x 61 cm (20 x 24 in.)

Purchased with a grant from the NEA and matched by contributions from Museum members in 1989 1989.420

Impression: 1

Location: not on view

This artwork is known to be under copyright.

Description

William Eggleston was among the first to take advantage of improved color technologies at a time when color photography was considered acceptable for snapshots, but not serious art. By 1966, he was using color exclusively, recording seeming banal, common, and ordinary objects and situations in his own spare, snapshot style. Near the River at Greenville, Mississippi reveals Eggleston's dual interest in rich, lurid color and in the knowing description of place. The saturated hues spread throughout the composition energize the image, providing the backyard scene with an uncomfortable, almost threatening atmosphere.