Artist
Florence Henri (American, 1893–1982)American, 1893–1982
CultureAmerican
Titles
- Portrait Composition
Date1928
MediumGelatin silver print
DimensionsImage: 6 9/16 × 4 3/4 in. (16.7 × 12.1 cm)
Sheet: 6 9/16 × 4 3/4 in. (16.7 × 12.1 cm)
Sheet: 6 9/16 × 4 3/4 in. (16.7 × 12.1 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by the Caroline Wiess Law Accessions Endowment, The Manfred Heiting Collection
Object number2002.1294
Not on view
Explore Further
Department
PhotographySpecial Collections
Object Type
a background in Cubist painting, Florence Henri embraced photography in 1927
when she studied with László Moholy-Nagy at the Bauhaus, a revolutionary German
design school that emphasized experimentation and discovery over traditional
technique. Bauhaus students frequently took pictures from unique perspectives and
angles, and explored the effects of light and shadow. Using mirrors, prisms,
and architectural objects to fragment space and double the subjects, Henri’s
“compositions” fuse photography with geometric abstraction. This ambiguous portrait
of a young man behind a drafting table confuses reality and reflection,
suggesting how multiple views interacting with one another can dynamically
depict a person.
ProvenanceArtist.
Bought by Manfred Heiting from Archiv Ann und Jürgen Wilde.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Marked in pencil, verso: "Portrait" (underlined)
Verso, bottom, two illegible words
Verso, bottom, two illegible words
Signed in pencil, verso
Cataloguing data may change with further research.
If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.
