James Baldwin
Artist
Carl Van Vechten
(American, 1880 - 1964)
Date1955
MediumGelatin silver print
Dimensions13 1/4 × 9 in. (33.7 × 22.9 cm)
Overall, Mat: 20 × 16 in. (50.8 × 40.6 cm)
Overall, Mat: 20 × 16 in. (50.8 × 40.6 cm)
ClassificationsPhotography
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Object number2016.23.2
On View
Not on viewLabel TextCarl Van Vechten American, 1880–1964 James Baldwin, 1955 Gelatin silver print (photograph) Photographer Carl Van Vechten made this portrait of writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin in 1955, the same year Baldwin published his celebrated collection of essays Notes of a Native Son. Vechten made many similar portraits of the visual, musical, and literary artists associated with the Harlem Renaissance. Although he produced an important record of black culture in the 20th century, Vechten is a controversial figure whose work can be seen as exploitative of his African American sitters. In this photograph, however, Baldwin seems to have collaborated closely with the photographer to create an engaging portrait. Museum purchase 2016.23.2
