Model
James Van Der Zee
Description
Subject Matter:
This studio portrait by Van Der Zee is one of many images taken between the early 1900s through the 1940s, in which he documented the lives of Harlem residents. His work was discovered in the late 1960s for the controversial exhibit Harlem On My Mind at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, in 1969. This exhibition drew attention to his work for the first time. His work has since been praised for its aesthetic and style, which grew independently from popular movements at the time. His work offers a picturing of African American middle class life from the perspective of a conventional bourgeois portrait studio, offering alternatives to the dominant depictions of the time period.
Physical Description:
A studio portrait of a young African American woman in 1920s apparel, including a short hairstyle, stockings, necklace, and dress. She stands with her left leg resting on a bench with her right arm akimbo.
Usage Rights:
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