Untitled

c. 1930s

Arthur Ellis

Associated Names
Arthur Ellis

Artist, American, 1912 - 1989

This is a photograph of a police officer restraining an individual holding a baton. The officer in uniform is exerting control over another figure who is bare-chested. The officer's expression is focused, while both hands are securing the situation. A third figure, dressed in a suit and hat, stands to the side with a cigar in his mouth, observing the scene. The image is in black and white, adding a sense of documentary realism. The contrast in attire and physical dynamics suggest a moment of confrontation or arrest.
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Artwork overview

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Frederica Ellis, wife of the artist, Washington, DC; Debra Weingarten Jacobs, niece of the artist, North Bethesda, MD, 2001; gift to the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 2005; acquired by NGA, 2015.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2003

  • Front Page: The Photographs of Arthur Ellis, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, July 2 – August 14, 2003

Inscriptions

on verso, by Corcoran Gallery of Art, bottom right in graphite: 2005.010.008

Wikidata ID

Q64144977

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