Maid of Honor with Bride in Slippers, Daufuskie Island, South Carolina

1980, printed 2022

Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe

Associated Names
Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe

Artist, American, born 1951

This is a black-and-white photograph showing two women standing outdoors. The woman closest to is smiling widely, looking right at us. She has dark skin and short, curly, black hair. She is wearing a white one-shoulder dress with a lacy floral design on the side, a string of pearls around her neck, a white bracelet, a ring, and round earrings. She is holding a bouquet of three white flowers tied with a ribbon, and she has white high heels on her feet. Behind her on the left is the second woman, who also looks out at us, smiling. She is wearing a high-necked white dress and a long, lacy veil. She also has dark skin and short, dark, curly hair under the veil. She holds a large bouquet of light-colored flowers in one hand, and a pair of white high heels in the other hand. On her feet she wears fuzzy gray slippers. The ground beneath the women is covered with grass and a few fallen leaves, and behind them is a dirt road with two cars passing by. Another car is partially visible on the right. Beyond the road are tall gray trees with a sliver of white sky visible near the upper right corner.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Funds from Diana and Mallory Walker

  • Dimensions

    image: 56.9 × 37.4 cm (22 3/8 × 14 3/4 in.)
    sheet: 60.9 × 50.5 cm (24 × 19 7/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2024.7.3

  • Series Title

    Daufuskie Island

  • Copyright

    © Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe

More About this Artwork

In this black-and-white photograph, five children sit closely together on a couch, reading different comic books and magazines. The comic books obscure the faces of the five children, and they appear absorbed in their reading. A sixth child who appears to be a young boy sits on the ground in front of the couch next to a coffee table piled high with dirty dishes and more comic books. His face is partially visible; he has light skin and dark hair, and he looks over his shoulder to the right. The children wear a variety of clothing with different patterns, including long-sleeved shirts, dresses, belts, and long pants. The wall behind the couch is light gray, with the edge of a framed photo visible at the top.

Article:  12 Documentary Photographers Who Changed the Way We See the World

Photographers of the 1970s revolutionized the medium through innovations of both style and subject.


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, South Kent, CT; NGA purchase, 2024.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2025

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

Inscriptions

on verso, signed by artist, bottom right in graphite: Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe 3/10; bottom left: Bride in slippers with Maid of Honor, Daufuskie Island, South Carolina; bottom center: 1980


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