Man lying down, subway steps

1965

Roy DeCarava

Associated Names
Roy DeCarava

Artist, American, 1919 - 2009

This is a photograph of a dimly lit staircase. It captures a perspective looking down a set of stairs. The focus is on the lower part of the image where the dim lighting creates shadowy outlines. On each side of the staircase are rails, with one visible on the right side. Towards the bottom of the image, there is a shape that might be an object or a form lying across the steps, slightly illuminated. The overall atmosphere is mysterious and somewhat somber due to the low lighting and deep shadows. The stairs lead upwards into darkness, with a slightly out-of-focus area at the top.
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Artwork overview


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

NGA purchase, 1999.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1999

  • Photographs from the Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1999.

Bibliography

1996

  • Roy DeCarava: A Retrospective. Exh. cat. The Museum of Modern Art. New York, 1996: p. 103.

Inscriptions

lower right in graphite: DeCARAVA

Wikidata ID

Q64170475

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