Edward Weston 1929 Silver Gelatin Photograph "Monterey Cypress"

Item Details

Edward Henry Weston (1886-1958)
Monterey Cypress, 1929
Signed and dated by hand “Edward Weston, 1929” to the lower right of paperboard
Numbered 9/50 to the lower left
From an edition of 50
Presented unframed within an acetate protective cover

A gelatin silver print on paper mounted on paperboard titled Monterey Cypress by well-listed American photographer Edward Henry Weston (1886-1958). The work depicts an extreme close up image of a Monterey Cypress tree trunk, native species from the Central Coast of California. The image is composed of textured grains gently curving throughout the composition. The piece is signed and dated ‘Edward Weston, 1929’ to the lower right. This work is presented on paperboard backing, protected by an acetate cover.

At this time, the artist was in the midst of an important phase of his career. Experimenting with an innovative vision, around 1927, Weston began focusing on revealing an object’s form more closely. This photograph was taken the same year that he moved to Carmel, California, when he began shooting the first of many photographs featuring close-ups of trees, rocks, and kelp, many of which were located at Point Lobos, California. For the next year, the artist continued to shoot close-ups of nature objects, such as cabbage, kale, onions, bananas, and his iconic peppers and shells.

Considered one of the masters of 20th-century photography, Weston’s photographic ouvre includes a variety of genres; however he is perhaps most celebrated for his images of the American West and abstract imagery. Significantly, he was the first photographer to receive a Guggenheim Fellowship, and was friends with a number of influential artists such as Alfred Stieglitz, Paul Strand, Charles Sheeler, Georgia O’Keeffe, Diego Rivera David Siqueiros, Jose Orozco, and his lover Tina Modotti, to name a few. His work has been exhibited and collected by countless institutions including the International Center of Photography; the Museum of Modern Art; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Tate; and the Smithsonian Institution, among many others.

Condition

- negligible scratches throughout acetate protective cover; negligible toning, edge wear, and corner wear throughout paperboard backing.

Dimensions

- measures the backing; measures the paperboard 14" W x 17.75" H; measures the photograph 7.25" W x 9.5" H.

Item #

ITMG178743