Currently not on view

The Bat,

1904

Gertrude Käsebier, American, 1852–1934
x1975-126
Käsebier originally studied painting at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, and she later applied this training to her photography by emulating common painting techniques and styles in her images. Much like the pictorialists of the time, Käsebier opted for the gum bichromate printing process, which reduces detail and sharpness, and results in images, such as this example, that mimic the appearance of charcoal or chiaroscuro drawings. Her goal was to elevate the medium of photography from a means of documentation to a fine art; in The Bat, she attempted a mystical, Symbolistinspired transformation of the nude female form.

Information

Title
The Bat
Dates

1904

Medium
Gum bichromate print
Dimensions
33.8 x 22.5 cm. (13 5/16 x 8 7/8 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Hermine M. Turner
Object Number
x1975-126
Place Made

North America, United States, Ohio, Newark

Inscription
Signed in white graphite on image, lower right corner: Gertrude Käsebier
Culture
Subject