Academic Exercise in Shading in Which the Negative Proved to Be Equally as Correct

1975

Robert Cumming

Associated Names
Robert Cumming

Artist, American, 1943 - 2021

This is a photograph of a chalkboard in an academic setting displaying instructions on shading. The image consists of two similar photographs side by side, showing a chalkboard with diagrams illustrating the effect of light on geometric shapes like spheres and cones. The board is annotated with terms like "highlight," "mode of shadow," "deep shadow," and "reflected highlight," with arrows pointing to sections on the diagrams, indicating directions of light sources. The accompanying text below reads, "ACADEMIC EXERCISE IN SHADING IN WHICH THE NEGATIVE PROVED TO BE EQUALLY AS CORRECT."

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    2 gelatin silver prints

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon and Patrons' Permanent Fund

  • Dimensions

    left panel: 20 x 25.08 cm (7 7/8 x 9 7/8 in.)
    right panel: 20 x 24.92 cm (7 7/8 x 9 13/16 in.)
    mount: 34.93 x 68.58 cm (13 3/4 x 27 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2006.133.47

  • Copyright

    R. Cumming

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Mary and Dan Solomon; purchase and gift to NGA, 2006.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2025

  • The '70s Lens: Reimagining Documentary Photography: National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, October 6, 2024–April 6, 2025

Inscriptions

by artist, lower right on mount under image in graphite: ACADEMIC EXERCISE IN SHADING IN WHICH / THE NEGATIVE PROVED TO BE EQUALLY AS CORRECT.; signed, lower right on mount in graphite: Cumming 1975.

Wikidata ID

Q64159506

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