The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of June 6, 2026

A horizontal platinum print looks down from a high-angle view on a cracked sidewalk. Three figures walk right, their forms echoed by exaggeratedly long, dark shadows stretching toward our left. A vintage car juts into the top edge. Along the bottom, three cylindrical trash cans and a metal fence border the pavement. A solitary figure enters from the lower left, while a cursive signature marks the bottom right corner.

Three Shadows

printed 2022

Adger Cowans

(American, b. 1936)
America
platinum print
Image: 15.8 x 24 cm (6 1/4 x 9 7/16 in.); Paper: 21.3 x 28 cm (8 3/8 x 11 in.)
Transfer from Ingalls Library 2022.82
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

The photographer’s viewpoint—where the camera is placed—can entirely change the meaning of an image.

Description

Three Shadows, a view from above of three young girls walking in the Bronx, would have been an entirely different image if taken from ground level. From Adger Cowans’ elevated viewpoint, the girls’ shadows, stretch far in front of them, suggesting that whatever their actual height, they have the potential to be towering figures. One of Adger Cowans iconic images, Three Shadows presents a striking example of his ability to communicate through light and shadow, which are hallmarks of black-and-white photography.
  • {{cite web|title=Three Shadows|url=false|author=Adger Cowans|year=printed 2022|access-date=06 June 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2022.82