The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 21, 2024

Nancy, Danville, Virginia

Nancy, Danville, Virginia

1969
(American, 1941-)
Image: 14 x 18 cm (5 1/2 x 7 1/16 in.); Paper: 20 x 25.3 cm (7 7/8 x 9 15/16 in.); Matted: 35.6 x 45.7 cm (14 x 18 in.)
Location: not on view

Description

Intimacy, relationships, the cycle of life, and the mundane are themes expressed in Emmet Gowin's photographs, which often focus on his wife, children, and extended family. This classically composed image of his wife's niece illustrates, however, that Gowin's photographs are not merely family snapshots. The lightness of the young girl's body and clothing set against a dark landscape dramatically emphasize his subject. Nancy's entwined, elongated arms and the eggs she holds in her hands create curved, sculptural lines. Closed eyes and a placid expression indicate her willingness to be photographed, and imply feelings of trust and emotional closeness to the artist.
  • E. H. T. "The Year in Review: Selections 1989." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 77, no. 2 (1990): 38-78. p. 71, no. 97 25160106
    Hinson, Tom E. "Contemporary American Photographs: An Exhibition." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 79, no. 9 (1992): 306-51. p. 348, no. 30, repr. p. 331 25161375
    Cleveland Museum of Art, Tom E Hinson. Catalogue of Photography. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1996. Reproduced: P. 188
  • Looking at Children: Photographs from the Permanent Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 20-December 4, 2002).
    Contemporary American Photographers. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 18, 1992-January 3, 1993).
  • {{cite web|title=Nancy, Danville, Virginia|url=false|author=Emmet Gowin|year=1969|access-date=21 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1989.437