Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico
Artist
Ansel Adams
(American, 1902-1984)
CultureAmerican
Date1941, printed 1980
MediumGelatin silver print
DimensionsOverall, Image: 15 1/8 × 19 1/2 in. (38.4 × 49.5 cm)
Overall, Mat: 22 1/2 × 26 3/4 in. (57.2 × 67.9 cm)
Overall, Frame: 24 × 28 in. (61 × 71.1 cm)
Overall, Mat: 22 1/2 × 26 3/4 in. (57.2 × 67.9 cm)
Overall, Frame: 24 × 28 in. (61 × 71.1 cm)
SignedLower right corner of mat, in pencil.
Credit LineGift of Selina and Tom Stokes, in honor of Jefferson C. Harrison, the Irene Leache Curator of European Art and Chief Curator, with appreciation for 33 years of inspired service to the Museum
Object number2015.3
Not on view
DescriptionGelatin silver print, image measuring 15 x 19 5/16 inches (38.1 x 49.1 cm), signed in pencil, lower right corner of mat: Ansel Adams; labeled on reverse, with inscriptions in ink.Label TextAnsel Adams American, 1902–1984 Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941 Gelatin silver print, 1980 Moonrise is perhaps Adams’s most recognizable photograph in part because of its legendary creation story. As Adams tells it, he was driving toward Hernandez when the scene appeared: “In the east, the moon was rising over distant clouds and snow peaks, and in the west, the late afternoon sun glanced over a south-flowing cloud bank and blazed a brilliant white upon the crosses in the church cemetery.” Because the light was fading, Adams had to act quickly. Although he couldn’t find his light meter, he guessed the exposure time perfectly. Careful study of the print reveals another dimension of Adams’s talent: his masterful printing abilities. Notice how the crosses are illuminated brilliantly, while some of the buildings fade to soft gray. Adams enhanced each of these tones in the darkroom, intensifying the drama of the fleeting scene. Gift of Selina and Tom Stokes, in honor of Jefferson C. Harrison, the Irene Leache Curator of European Art and Chief Curator, with appreciation for 33 years of inspired service to the Museum 2015.3 ProvenanceThe artist, Carmel, CA; printed 1980 as part of a Museum Set Edition. Purchased by Dr. and Mrs. T. Lane Stokes, Norfolk, VA, from the artist’s studio, March 12, 1981. By descent to Tom and Selina Stokes, Norfolk, VA, October 1981. Gift by Tom and Selina Stokes to Chrysler Museum of Art, March 2015. Exhibition History"Silver Images: the Photography Collection at 25," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, 2003-2004. "Our Community Collects: From Durer to Warhol and Beyond," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, September 21 - December 31, 2011. "From Ansel Adams to Infinity," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, September 21, 2018 - January 27, 2019.
