Near the River at Greenville, Mississippi

1984

William Eggleston

(American, 1939-)

Culture

America

Medium

chromogenic process color print (Ektacolor)

Measurements

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.)

Credit Line

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

Impression

This artwork is known to be under copyright.

Location

Not on view

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.