Self-Deceit #1

1978, printed 1997–2001

Francesca Woodman

Associated Names
Francesca Woodman

Artist, American, 1958 - 1981

This black-and white photograph shows a nude woman on her hands and knees, looking around the corner of a wall. Most of her lower body is in shadow or hidden behind the wall. Her body is pointed toward us, but her head is turned away from us, and she is leaning towards a mirror that is propped against the wall on the right. We can see her face in the reflection of the mirror, although it is in shadow. She has light skin and dark hair put up in a braided hairstyle. The background consists of a rough, textured wall that has visible wear. The lighting in the room is dramatic, with some light reflected from the mirror and dark shadows in the top left and bottom corners.
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Artwork overview


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Betty and George Woodman, New York. Anabel and E.J. Gonzalez; (sale, Phillips de Pury & Company, New York, 1 April 2009, lot 196, no. 39512 (2/3)); Heather and Tony Podesta, Washington, DC; gift to NGA, 2011.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2012

  • The Serial Portrait: Photography and Identity in the Last One Hundred Years: National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, September 30–December 31, 2012

Inscriptions

on verso, signed, across bottom in graphite: George and Betty Woodman; estate stamp, lower left in black ink: PE/FW; by unknown hand in graphite: I.204 1/40; lower center right in graphite: Self-Deceit 1, Rome 1978

Wikidata ID

Q64147617

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