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Valpinçon Bather

McDermott & McGough; Renaissance Press

Artwork Details

Valpinçon Bather
1988
McDermott & McGough; Renaissance Press
photogravure on paper
24 3/4 in x 20 3/8 in (62.9 cm x 51.7 cm);28 1/8 in x 22 1/8 in (71.4 cm x 56.2 cm)
Museum purchase made possible by a gift from Helmut Stern
1995/2.6

On Display

Not currently on display

Description

Subject Matter:

This photograph is an appropriation of Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres' work by the same name, The Valpinçon Bather. This photograph is from a 1994 portfolio "The Metallic Plate: The Art of Photography," which included 10 images in an edition of 30. McDermott and McGough are a pair of artists known for their collaborative photography, film, sculpture and painting. Their photographs are taken with various cameras dating from the early nineteenth century, and use a variety of historical techniques to produce their final works. Not only do they reference the past in their visual works, but they integrate nineteenth-century life into their own lives. From their apartment decor, apparel, choice of vehicle, hobbies, to their avoidance of technology, they have made their lives, in their own words, as if they are in a time machine. Despite their devotion to the past, they astutely observe themes and social concerns of the current period and include them in their works.

Physical Description:

A photograph of a nude man sitting on a bed, his back turned toward the viewer. Cloth drapes over the end of the bed, curtains drape over the walls, and a battle helmet sits at his feet. 

Usage Rights:

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