About this artwork
In 1963, while traveling in Italy, Hujar photographed bodies at the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo. From 1599 to the 1930s, the corpses of the elite of Sicily were preserved—frequently framed, sometimes behind glass—for family members to visit. The bodies remain there to this day. In these works Hujar showed the eerie beauty that lies in this attempt to capture the essence of life in death and reflected on photography’s association with memorialization.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Photography and Media
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Artist
- Peter Hujar
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Title
- Palermo Catacombs #10 (Girl with Flowers)
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Place
- United States (Artist's nationality:)
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Date
- Made 1963
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Medium
- Gelatin silver print
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Dimensions
- Image: 38.4 × 38.3 cm (15 1/8 × 15 1/8 in.); paper: 50.8 × 40.4 cm (20 × 15 15/16 in.)
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Credit Line
- Promised gift of Randall Kroszner and David Nelson
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Reference Number
- Obj: 266225
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.
