© Emmet Gowin
On view
Photography
Edith, Christmas Morning,
1971, printed 1976
Emmet Gowin, born 1941, Danville, VA; active Princeton, NJ
x1982-401
Gowin’s wife Edith was a frequent subject of his early work. In his own words, the photographer “wanted to pay attention to the body and personality that had agreed out of love to reveal itself” to him over time. Throughout the 1970s, Gowin recorded his wife’s reactions to everyday moments—such as the aftermath of Christmas morning—in numerous portraits. Here, Edith looks both defiant and defeated as she stands amid a wasteland of Christmas wrapping paper. Shaded around the edges, as if seen through a peephole, the image offers an intimate glimpse into the Gowin household.
Information
Title
Edith, Christmas Morning
Dates
1971, printed 1976
Maker
Medium
Gelatin silver print
Dimensions
20.2 × 25.1 cm (7 15/16 × 9 7/8 in.)
mat: 35.6 × 43.2 cm (14 × 17 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Saul Reinfeld
Object Number
x1982-401
Place Depicted
North America, United States, Virginia, Danville
Culture
The artist. Acquired by Mrs. Saul Reinfeld, after 1975; given to the Princeton University Art Museum, 1982.
