Ancestors

1953

Dorothy Dehner

Associated Names
Dorothy Dehner

Artist, American, 1901 - 1994

The image contains a network of intersecting lines and shapes that form an abstract pattern. The shapes resemble faces and figures with elongated features and exaggerated expressions, reminiscent of masks or totemic sculptures. The design consists of a collage of facial profiles and forms, where eyes, noses, and mouths are simplified into geometric patterns. Some elements resemble the folds and pleats of clothing. The overlapping shapes create a tapestry of human-like figures emerging from the lines.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    drypoint in black on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Gift of the Judith Rothschild Foundation

  • Dimensions

    plate: 12.5 x 22.7 cm (4 15/16 x 8 15/16 in.)
    sheet: 14.9 x 22.7 cm (5 7/8 x 8 15/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1997.64.1

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Joshua P. Smith, Washington, D.C.; purchased 1997 by NGA, with funds donated by The Judith Rothschild Foundation.

Associated Names

Inscriptions

lower left below plate mark in graphite: Ancestors '53; lower right below plate mark in graphite: D. Dehner - proof

Wikidata ID

Q75394598

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