The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of September 23, 2023

Rancho de Taos Church

1940

Wright Morris

(American, 1910–1998)

American, 20th century

Gelatin silver print, ferrotyped

Image: 19.7 x 24.3 cm (7 3/4 x 9 9/16 in.); Paper: 19.7 x 24.3 cm (7 3/4 x 9 9/16 in.)

Gift of Michael Mattis and Judith Hochberg 2017.308

© Center for Creative Photography, Arizona Board of Regents

Location

not on view

Description

Iconic 1920s images of the historic Saint Francisco de Asis Mission Church in New Mexico by Paul Strand and Ansel Adams show the building as a free-standing sculptural mass stripped of signs of human activity. In contrast, Morris depicted the church as glimpsed through the opening in a ramshackle wooden fence. This print was intentionally printed backward, possibly made for a specific exhibition context.

Inscriptions

Inscription

Written in pen in his wife’ on verso of drymount tissue: [in circle] 1 [crossed out], 2

Inscription Remark

All notations on back of drymount tissue in hand of Wright’s wife, per Michael Mattis

Inscription

Written in pen on verso of drymount tissue: "1"

Inscription Remark

All notations on back of drymount tissue in hand of Wright’s wife, per Michael Mattis

Inscription

Written in pen on verso of drymount tissue: “Reverse”

Inscription Remark

All notations on back of drymount tissue in hand of Wright’s wife, per Michael Mattis

Inscription

Written in pen on verso of drymount tissue: “Rancho de Taos”

Inscription Remark

All notations on back of drymount tissue in hand of Wright’s wife, per Michael Mattis

Inscription

Written in pen on verso of drymount tissue: “Taos, N Mexico, 1938"

Inscription Remark

All notations on back of drymount tissue in hand of Wright’s wife, per Michael Mattis

Inscription

Written in pen on verso of drymount tissue: “Photo by W. Morris”

Inscription Remark

All notations on back of drymount tissue in hand of Wright’s wife, per Michael Mattis

Inscription

Written in pen on verso of drymount tissue: [illegible]

Inscription Remark

All notations on back of drymount tissue in hand of Wright’s wife, per Michael Mattis

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2017.308