Perspective I

Artist Ruth Bernhard (German-American, 1905 - 2006)

Date1962/1976

MediumGelatin silver print

DimensionsUnframed: 7 1/2 x 9 1/2 in. (19.1 x 24.1 cm) Framed: 17 3/4 x 18 3/4 in. (45.1 x 47.6 cm)

ClassificationsPhotography

Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Escalette Endowment

Object number2020.5.1

Label Text"Ruth Bernhard collected, studied, observed, examined, cherished, and photographed all manner of objects from Life Savers to dolls, but her study and love of the female nude was a lifelong pursuit: 'The image of woman has been my mission.' Bernhard's approach differed markedly from those of her male counterparts, whose images she felt either portrayed women as idealized models, Mother Earth figures, or erotic objects of desire... Bernhard studied and understood women. She identified with and found beauty in each one, which she intensified through light. 'Men photograph a female nude as if she belonged to them. I photograph a woman as part of the universe. The female body is the bearer of new life.'"

- Karen Sinsheimer, Forward to "The Eternal Body," 1986

Status

On view

Location