Emmet Gowin's Photographs of Edith
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Virginia Commonwealth University VCU Scholars Compass Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 2005 The Photographer's Wife: Emmet Gowin's Photographs of Edith Mikell Waters Brown Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd Part of the History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons © The Author Downloaded from https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/4501 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at VCU Scholars Compass. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of VCU Scholars Compass. For more information, please contact [email protected]. School of the Arts Virginia Commonwealth University This is to certify that the dissertation prepared by Mikell Waters Brown entitled "The Photographer's Wife: Emmet Gowin's Photographs of Edith" has been approved by her committee as satisfactory completion of the dissertation requirement fo r the degree of D Philosophy. , irector, Department of Art History, School of the Arts Dr. Eric Garberson, Reader, Department of Art History, School of the Arts redrika Jacobs, �r,Depalfiii'ent of Art History, School of the Arts Dr. Michael Schreffler, Reader, Department of Art History, School of the Arts Ot1irS'fiIfe"'Reader, Chief Curator, Hirshhorn Museum, Smithsonian Dr. Eric Garberson, Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Art History, School of the Arts Dr. Richard E. Toscan, Dean, School of the Arts Dr. F. Douglas Boudinot, Dean, School of Graduate Studies ©Mikell Waters Brown 2005 All Rights Reserved The Photographer's Wife: Emmet Gowin's Photographs of Edith A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University by Mikell Waters Brown, B.F.A., Virginia Commonwealth University, 1981 M.A., Virginia Commonwealth University, 1991 Director: Robert C. Hobbs, Ph.D. Rhoda Thalhimer Endowed Chair of Art History Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia May, 2005 ii Acknowledgment The author wishes to thank several people who have greatly contributed to "The Photographer's Wife." First, I would like to acknowledge the members of my committee. The topic of this study emerged from a seminar led by Dr. Robert Hobbs and ifit Were not fo r his continued guidance and encouragement as teacher, friend, and dissertation director, this project would never have reached completion. Throughout the entire process, Dr. Hobbs' knowledgeable feedback, his persistent belief in the abilities of this writer, and his commitment to excellence were crucial to its success. I would also like to extend my gratitude to Dr. Eric Garberson, who provided direction in the dual roles of reader and graduate advisor. This work benefited from his incisive editing and his grasp of current scholarship in areas critical to the subject. I am also greatly indebted to Drs. Fredrika Jacobs and Michael Schreffler who, as departmental readers, offered insightful commentary that proved to be very helpful in the finalediting process. And finally, it was an honor to have Mr. Kerry Brougher of the Hirshhorn Museum accept the role of outside reader for this dissertation. His thoughtful responses made me aware of several exciting possibilities with regard to the potential direction of the subject. I would also like to acknowledge the continued support of my friendsand colleagues at John Tyler Community College and my family members. In particular, I would like to thank my brother, Bert Waters, whose concurrent pursuit of a doctorate inspired me to get there first; my mother, Mary Waters, fo r her insistence that I "finish that paper;" my husband, Mark Brown, who provided me with the space, time, and energy to do so; and our son, Andy Brown, who always understood how important this project was to me and to our family. Their love, patience, and encouragement truly made this possible. iii Table of Contents Acknowledgements........................... ... .............................. .................. ii List of Figures. .. ... ... ......... .................................................................. v Abstract................................................... ........................................ x Introduction: The Discourse of the Photographer's Wife................................. I Representation and Discourse..... .................................................... 3 Background and Review of Literature. .............................................. 7 Chapter Overviews........................... ............................ .............. 16 Chapter I: Representing the Wife ........................................................... 19 The Man and His Wife ................................................................ 19 The Artist and His Wife .............................................................. 26 The Muse .......................................................................... 28 The Portrait ....................................................................... 31 Artists and Wives........................................................... 36 The Photographer and His Wife...................................................... 49 Alfred Stieglitz and Georgia O'Keeffe . .............. .... ....................... 50 Harryand Eleanor Callahan. .................................................. 68 Lee and Maria Friedlander..................................... ................... 77 Images of the Wife....................................... .......................... 85 Chapter 2: Representing Edith as Family................................................... 88 Family, Place and Religion.... ......................................................... 88 The Family in Context. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .... 93 Family Photography. ................... ................................................. 103 Documentary Photography and the Snapshot Aesthetic..... ..................... .. 107 The Family Series. .................................. ... ... ................ .............. 121 Reading the Family Series......................................... .................... 135 Chapter 3: Representing Edith as the Photographer's Wife.............................. 138 Edith as Nature......................................................................... 139 A Theology of Science and Art. .. .. .. .. ... .. 142 Wo man as Nature.......................... ............................. ............ 147 iv Edith as Mother........................................................................ 154 Pregnancy. 155 Motherhood. ...................................................... .................. 161 Edith as Wife........................................................................... 168 Erotics & Transgression................................. ......................... 169 Identity & Narrative................................................... ............ 180 Conclusion: Edith as a Photograph. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. 193 Bibliography..................................................................................... 206 Figures............................................................................................. 220 Vita................... ............................................................................. 274 v List of Figures Except as otherwise noted, Emmet Gowin's photographs are reproduced in Emmet Gowin: Photographs (New York: Knopf, 1976), to be referred to as "Knopf," and Martha Charoudhi, Emmet Gowin: Photographs (Boston, Toronto, London: BullfinchPress, 1990), to be referred to as "Charoudhi," and are identified by page number. FIGURES Rembrandt van Rijn, Self-Portrait with Saskia, c. 1635 Christopher White, Rembrandt and His Wo rld (London: Thames and Hudson, 1964), 32. 2 Peter Paul Rubens, Self Portraitwith Isabella Brandt, c. 1609 Edward Lucie-Smith, Rubens (London: Spring Books, 1967), plate 2. 3 Rubens, Het Pelsken, 1635 - 40 Lucie-Smith, plate 48. 4 Alfred Stieglitz, A Portrait, 1918 Georgia 0 'Keeffe : A Portrait by Alfred Stieglitz. (New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1988), plate 24. 5 Stieglitz, A Portrait, 1918 Plate 27. 6 Stieglitz, A Portrait, 1919 Plate 21. 7 Stieglitz, A Portrait, 1917 Plate 2. 8 Stieglitz, A Portrait, 1918 Weston Naef, ed., In Focus: Alfred Stieglitz (Malibu, CA: The J. Paul Getty Museum, 1995), plate 21. vi 9 Georgia 0 'Keeffe, Music Pink and Blue, 1919 Katherine Hoffman, Georgia 0 'Keeffe : A Celebration of Music and Dance (New York: George Brazillier, 1997), plate 6. 10 Stieglitz, A Portrait, 1930 Plate 51. II Stieglitz, A Portrait, 1933 Plate 47. 12 Harry Callahan, Chicago, 1953 Callahan, Eleanor (Carmel, California: The Friends of Photography and New York: Callaway Editions, 1984), plate 37. 13 Callahan, Chicago, 1948 Eleanor, plate 16. 14 Callahan, We ed against Sky, Detroit, 1948 Sarah Greenough, Harry Callahan (Washington, D.C.: The National Gallery, 1996), plate 66. 15 Aix-en-Provence, 1958 Eleanor, plate. 56. 16 Callahan, Chicago, 1953 Eleanor, plate 51. 17 Lee Friedlander, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1966 Lee Friedlander, SelfPortrait (New York: Fraenkel Gallery, 1998), plate 37. 18 Friedlander, Las Vegas, 1970 Friedlander, Maria: Photographs (Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992), plate. 18 19 Friedlander, Mexico City, 1974 Maria, plate 13. 20 Friedlander, Nude, Phoenix, Arizona, 1978 William A. Ewing, The Body: Photographs of the Human Form (Chronicle Books, 1994), p. 97. 21 Emmet Gowin, Nancy, Danville, Vi