1947
Part of a set. See all set records
(American, 1908–1976)
Gelatin silver print
Image: 18.2 x 25.2 cm (7 3/16 x 9 15/16 in.); Paper: 27.5 x 34.9 cm (10 13/16 x 13 3/4 in.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Mann 1986.221
© 1982 Trustees of Princeton University
Minor White believed that an image could correspond to an inner state or feeling. In 1963 he wrote that a photograph could be experienced on three levels: the picture itself, the thoughts in the viewer's mind when seeing the photograph, and the experience of remembering the image later. In this sweeping panorama of the Pacific Ocean, the gradations of light and shadow on the rippled surface of the water and the band of dark clouds above serve as a dramatic foil for the radiance of the setting sun. The photograph suggests infinite space, yet its formal qualities–light, tone, and texture–are compelling on their own. White held an abiding interest in the fleeting effects of nature and the power of the environment to awe and inspire.
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