Animations:

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Artists Reimagining the Collection
Meet the 50 makers selected from more than 1,600 submissions

Open 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Visit
Open today 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Admission is always free

6th and Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20565

Sculpture Garden Extended Hours

Open late until 8:00 p.m. on select nights
Starting June 3
Exhibitions & Events
Featured event:

Block Party
Join us June 6
Art & Artists
Open Call

Artists Reimagining the Collection
Meet the 50 makers selected from more than 1,600 submissions

Ancestors

1954

Dorothy Dehner

Associated Names

Dorothy Dehner

Artist, American, 1901 - 1994

The image shows an intricate assortment of curved and angular lines formed into a rectangular block, with a dense pattern of abstract shapes. These shapes interlock with each other and resemble familiar objects like musical instruments, human figures, and masks through their repetitive patterns and linear arrangements. The abstract illustration invites the viewer to discern connections between the shapes and potential figures, as the overall composition resembles a tapestry of stylized, possibly anthropomorphic forms.

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Artwork overview

Medium

etching and aquatint in black on wove paper
Credit Line

Corcoran Collection (Gift of James Marston Fitch)
Dimensions

plate: 5.24 × 20 cm (2 1/16 × 7 7/8 in.)
sheet: 16.51 × 30.48 cm (6 1/2 × 12 in.)
Accession Number

2015.19.3080

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

James Marston Fitch, New York; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1998; acquired 2015 by the National Gallery of Art

Associated Names

Bibliography

1987

Teller, Susan. Dorothy Dehner: A Retrospective of Prints. New York: Associated American Artists, 1987, no. 17.

Inscriptions

lower left in graphite: Ancestors 14/35; lower right in graphite: Dehner '55 / For Jim - Love, Dorothy

Wikidata ID

Q77009660

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