The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 18, 2025

Untitled (Man and Railroad Tracks)

1920

Maurice Tabard

(French, 1897–1984)
France, 20th century
gelatin silver print
Platemark: 17.7 x 23.7 cm (6 15/16 x 9 5/16 in.); Matted: 35.6 x 45.7 cm (14 x 18 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 1992.330
Location: Not on view

Description

Among the most significant photographs created during Maurice Tabard's long career are those he made during the 1920s. Sharing an affinity with Surrealism, this enigmatic portrayal of a man crouching amidst a series of railroad tracks suggests a mysterious dreamworld. The aerial viewpoint and unusual cropping cause the railroad tracks to appear to tip forward, while the man seems to be falling out of the photograph.
  • Julien Levy; Peter Hiler, Philadelphia
  • Turner, Evan H. “The Year in Review for 1992.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 80, no. 2 (February 1993): 38–79. Mentioned: p. 69 www.jstor.org
    Cleveland Museum of Art, Tom E Hinson. Catalogue of Photography. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1996. Reproduced: P. 353
  • CMA, November 20,1996 - February 2, 1997: "Legacy of Light: Master Photographs from the Cleveland Museum of Art."
    Legacy of Light: Master Photographs from the Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 24, 1996-February 2, 1997).
    Selected Acquisitions. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 9-April 11, 1993).
    CMA, January 28 - March 15, 1992: "Selected Acquisitions," CMA Bulletin, 80 (February 1993), p. 69, no. 129.
  • {{cite web|title=Untitled (Man and Railroad Tracks)|url=false|author=Maurice Tabard|year=1920|access-date=18 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1992.330