Back Torso from Below
Artist
John Coplans
(British, 1920-2003)
CultureEnglish
Date1985
MediumGelatin silver print
DimensionsOverall, Image: 11 3/16 × 14 11/16 in. (28.4 × 37.3 cm)
Overall, Support: 16 × 19 7/8 in. (40.6 × 50.5 cm)
Overall, Mat: 20 x 24 in. (50.8 x 61 cm)
Overall, Support: 16 × 19 7/8 in. (40.6 × 50.5 cm)
Overall, Mat: 20 x 24 in. (50.8 x 61 cm)
InscribedVerso: "© John Coplans, 1985 Tr.020 Back Torso from Below, 1985 1/12 SP 4685"
Credit LineGift of Joyce F. and Robert B. Menschel
Object number2007.12.33
Not on view
DescriptionThis gelatin silver print is of the back of a nude man. He is standing on one leg and is bent forward so just his upper thigh, buttocks and back can be seen.Label TextJohn Coplans British, 1920–2003 Back Torso from Below, 1985 Gelatin silver print (photograph) When the art critic and curator John Coplans was in his mid-60s, he established his reputation as photographer with a series of self-portraits, including Back Torso from Below. The photographs document the artist’s aging body, capturing every fold of skin and tuft of hair. Always taken with his face obscured, the images address age and the body with stark honesty, raising questions about our standards of beauty and obsession with youth all while suggesting the artist’s acceptance of the inevitable. Gift of Joyce F. and Robert B. Menschel 2007.12.33 ProvenanceCollection of Robert B. and Joyce F. Menschel, New York; Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Virginia, Gift of Joyce F. and Robert B. Menschel, 2007 Exhibition History"Remix: A Fresh Look At Our Modern And Contemporary Art Collections," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Virginia, November 2, 2011 - March 17, 2012. "Photographs Take Time: Pictures from the Chrysler Collection," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, April 6 - August 26, 2018.
George Platt Lynes
