The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of May 30, 2026

A vertically oriented color etching depicts several people with medium-light skin tones. On our left, a person with reddish hair looks down at a handheld device. To our right, a woman with long gray hair stands with a hand on her hip. Dense cross-hatching and red ink define their features. Behind them, the word CONTAGION and various numbers appear in red. Other figures crowd the background amidst pale green and red washes.

Contagion

2012–22

Nicole Eisenman

(American, b. 1965)
America
color etching on wove paper
Image: 19.8 x 15.4 cm (7 13/16 x 6 1/16 in.); Sheet: 34 x 27 cm (13 3/8 x 10 5/8 in.)
Dr. Gerard and Phyllis Seltzer Fund 2023.16.1
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Although the artist and printer decided on a monochromatic print following the creation of this proof impression, Eisenman later reconsidered the image and, in 2023, decided to print it in a color version.

Description

Over the past decade contemporary artist Nicole Eisenman (they/them) has used art history, often combined with humor or absurdity, to explore issues of identity throughout their work. This print depicts a crowd waiting in line to see the 2012 movie Contagion. It is one of numerous proof impressions created throughout the working process so that the artist and printer could evaluate color, form, and composition.
  • ?-2023
    (Harlan & Weaver, Inc., New York, NY), sold to The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
    March 6, 2023-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=Contagion|url=false|author=Nicole Eisenman|year=2012–22|access-date=30 May 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2023.16.1