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Martha Graham 42

Imogen Cunningham

Artwork Details

Martha Graham 42
1931
Imogen Cunningham
gelatin silver print on paper
5 15/16 in x 7 7/8 in (15.1 cm x 20 cm);14 3/8 in x 19 7/16 in (36.5 cm x 49.3 cm)
Museum purchase made possible by a gift from Helmut Stern
1996/1.78

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Description

Subject Matter:

Imogen Cunningham began photographing at age 18 after seeing Gertrude Käsebier’s work. Throughout her career, she photographed a diverse range of subjects, including nudes, botanical photographs, street photography, and freelance work. Around 1920, Cunningham relocated to San Francisco and began working on her botanical photographs, focusing on producing studies of the magnolia between 1923 and 1925. In 1931, Cunningham met Martha Graham and produced ninety graflex negatives. Two of these images were her first to be published in Vanity Fair. 

Physical Description:

This photograph depicts a woman standing in stark lighting and stretching knit fabric over her naked torso. 

Usage Rights:

If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.