Portrait of a Family

c. 1940

American 20th Century, James Van Der Zee

Associated Names
James Van Der Zee

Printer, American, 1886 - 1983

The image shows four individuals, each depicted from head to foot. The group consists of three people standing and one seated in a chair. The seated woman at the center of the photograph wears a traditional black outfit and has her hands resting on her lap, with short hair that is tidily combed back. To her right stands a young man in a light-colored suit with a white shirt and tie, sporting a neat, short hairstyle. Next to him on the left, another young man is dressed in a dark traditional outfit, with his short hair neatly combed. On the right side of the seated woman, a woman stands wearing dark traditional clothing, with her hair also pulled back neatly. Each person is looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression. The background features an abstract design with large circular shapes, contributing to a formal studio setting.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Avalon Fund

  • Dimensions

    image: 24.6 × 19.6 cm (9 11/16 × 7 11/16 in.)
    sheet: 25.3 × 20.2 cm (9 15/16 × 7 15/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2019.127.2

  • Copyright

    © James Van Der Zee Archive, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

More About this Artwork

Article:  34 Artworks About Love at the National Gallery

From first kisses to tragic romances, our collection abounds with love, in all its forms.


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

James Van Der Zee, New York; Donna Van Der Zee, New York; NGA purchase (through Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York), 2019.

Associated Names

Inscriptions

on verso, signed by artist, center in graphite: James VanDerZee; by Donna Mussenden Van Der Zee, upper center in graphite: TITLE: FAMILY PORTRAIT, c. 1940 / PHOTOGRAPHER: JAMES VAN DER ZEE / COPYRIGHT © DONNA MUSSENDEN VANDERZEE / ALL RIGHTS RESERVED / VINTAGE PRINT / REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED / CERTIFIED: Donna Mussenden VDR; lower right stamped in blue ink: G.G.G. PHOTO STUDIO / 2077-7th Ave., N.Y.C.; by unknown hand, bottom left in graphite: 30; bottom center: PF138521


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