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Still Life, San Francisco, California

A work made of gelatin silver print.
© The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust.

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  • A work made of gelatin silver print.

Date:

c. 1932

Artist:

Ansel Adams
American, 1902–1984

About this artwork

Known for his depictions of a pristine and majestic American west, Ansel Adams broke from the prevalent Pictorialist techniques of the time to pursue a new direction in photography. Embracing a modern depiction of the world with the full tonal range possible in photography, he co-founded Group f/64, named for the smallest aperture on a camera lens, which secured the sharpest focus. Adams, after consciously deciding to dedicate his career to photography in 1930, had already produced some of his most iconic images of nature by the time he made this still life. Not originally intended for publication, it served as an exercise in composition and application of available light sources, and as Adams noted, ultimately acted as a “pleasant reminder of an aesthetic experience.”

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Photography and Media

Artist

Ansel Adams

Title

Still Life, San Francisco, California

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1927–1937

Medium

Gelatin silver print

Inscriptions

Signed recto, on mount, lower right, below image, in graphite: "Ansel Adams"; verso unchecked

Dimensions

Image/paper: 21.3 × 15.6 cm (8 7/16 × 6 3/16 in.); Mount: 45.9 × 35.6 cm (18 1/8 × 14 1/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Mrs. Katharine Kuh

Reference Number

1959.871

Copyright

© The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust.

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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