Sentinel Rock from the Upper House Hotel at the Foot of Yosemite
Artist
Carleton E. Watkins
(American, 1829 - 1916)
CultureAmerican
Date1865
MediumMammoth plate albumen print on original mount
DimensionsOther (Sheet): 20 1/2 × 16 1/4 in. (52.1 × 41.3 cm)
Other (Mount): 27 × 21 in. (68.6 × 53.3 cm)
Overall, Mat: 32 × 26 in. (81.3 × 66 cm)
Other (Mount): 27 × 21 in. (68.6 × 53.3 cm)
Overall, Mat: 32 × 26 in. (81.3 × 66 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase, in memory of Alice and Sol B. Frank
Object number2017.29
Not on view
DescriptionThis photograph depicts people in front of the hotel known as the Hutchings House Hotel, located in the Yosemite Valley.Label Textleft Carleton E. Watkins American, 1829–1916 Sentinel Rock from the Upper House Hotel at the Foot of Yosemite, 1865 Mammoth plate albumen print (photograph) on original mount right David Benjamin Sherry American, born 1981 Holy Holy, 2011 Chromogenic print (photograph) Most of us come to know natural wonders through photography before experiencing them in real life. Carleton Watkins’ photographs of Yosemite Valley were some of the first photographic images of the area, and as seen here, they capture the awesome scale of the landscape. By transforming vast stretches of wilderness into a series of appealing images, Watkins provided the public with a means to easily understand a complex environment. David Benjamin Sherry’s vibrant and unconventional colors transform a rock formation into a dreamy and even lustfully desirable experience. Instead of using photography to tame the wilderness, he leverages the medium to keep it wild. Contemporary artists like Sherry reflect on how photographic predecessors, such as Watkins, shaped the way we feel about the landscape. Museum purchase, in memory of Alice and Sol B. Frank 2017.29 Museum purchase 2018.23Exhibition History"5 Years of Photography: Building the Chrysler Collection," Photography & Focus Galleries, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, June 26 - November 10, 2019.
