Artwork Page for Untitled (West Indian Women Being Measured)

Details / Information for Untitled (West Indian Women Being Measured)

Untitled (West Indian Women Being Measured)

c. 1860s

Caribbean, 19th century

Medium
three studies mounted on a single card
Measurements
Image 1: 8.6 x 5.2 cm (3 3/8 x 2 1/16 in.); Image 2: 8.6 x 5.2 cm (3 3/8 x 2 1/16 in.); Image 3: 8.5 x 5.2 cm (3 3/8 x 2 1/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Barbara Tannenbaum and Mark Soppeland 2019.70
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

The tension in the sitters’ body language and expressions suggest that posing here was not a choice or a pleasurable experience.

Description

The eerie depictions of three ages of West Indian women of African descent are early examples of photography’s use by nineteenth-century anthropologists to categorize different ethnic and racial types within the human race. These images were almost certainly taken by a European or Caucasian photographer during a time of colonial occupation.
A vertically oriented print features three black-and-white photographs with ornate borders mounted on a cream card. Each depicts a person with dark skin beside a vertical measuring scale. In the upper left, a woman wears a white blouse. At upper right, an older woman wears a patterned blouse. Centered below, a child in a striped dress sits in a chair. The figures maintain neutral expressions against the light-toned studio backdrops.

Untitled (West Indian Women Being Measured)

c. 1860s

Caribbean, 19th century

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork