A Tenement Madonna
A Tenement Madonna

Currently not on view

A Tenement Madonna,

ca. 1912

Lewis Wickes Hine, 1874–1940; born Oshkosh, WI; died Hastings-on-Hudson, NY; active New York City, NY
x1973-23

Although Hine’s photographs were meant above all to have a social impact, A Tenement Madonna exemplifies Hine’s artistic ambitions. The round format and careful poses of the mother and her children are a close citation of Raphael’s Madonna of the Chair (Palazzo Pitti, Florence). While in some of his work Hine depicted struggling immigrants to inspire pity, here he seeks to present his viewers with a relatable and idealized scene of familial closeness.

Information

Title
A Tenement Madonna
Dates

ca. 1912

Maker
Lewis Wickes Hine
Medium
Gelatin silver print
Dimensions
image (oval): 25.6 x 26 cm. (10 1/16 x 10 1/4 in.) sheet: 35.3 x 27.8 cm. (13 7/8 x 10 15/16 in.)
Credit Line
Anonymous gift
Object Number
x1973-23
Place Made

North America, United States

Inscription
Titled and signed in graphite, verso: A Tenement Madonna / Hine
Culture
American
Type
gelatin silver prints, black-and-white photographs, photographs
Techniques
gelatin silver process
Subject
women, figures (representations), children (people by age group), classicism, portraits

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