20

Edward S. Curtis

(1868 - 1952)

A Hopi Mother, 1921

photogravure on Japanese vellum
Curtis' photographs of mothers with their child are scarce and highly sought-after. This portrait is elegant in its simplicity as well as its tender depiction of a mother carrying her small son. She wears garments traditional for Hopi woman: an undyed cotton robe, which passed under the left arm and was fastened above the right shoulder with the edges overlapping at the right side, and an embroidered wool belt. Arms and lower legs were unadorned.
This portrait is unusual in the utter simplicity of the clothing, the background, and the composition thus, allowing the viewer to be fully focused on the individual subjects and their relationship.

Japanese Vellum Paper
This original vintage photogravure is printed on Japanese Vellum. This is an expensive handmade paper specifically selected by Curtis and J.P. Morgan for Curtis' North American Indian project and noted for its smooth surface and fine resolution. The Vellum stock, produced one hundred years ago, is very resistant to contamination and damage and rarely requires conservation.

inscribed in plate, upper left: Plate 403
titled in plate, lower left: A HOPI MOTHER
inscribed in plate, lower center: From Copyright Photograph 1921 by E.S. Curtis
inscribed in plate, lower right: Photogravure Suffolk Eng. Co. Boston

Japanese Vellum Paper
This original vintage photogravure is printed on Japanese Vellum. This is an expensive handmade paper specifically selected by Curtis and J.P. Morgan for Curtis' North American Indian project and noted for its smooth surface and fine resolution. The Vellum stock, produced one hundred years ago, is very resistant to contamination and damage and rarely requires conservation.
sheet: 22 x 18 in. (55.9 x 45.7 cm.); frame: 29 1/8 x 25 1/8 x 3/4 in. (74 x 63.8 x 1.9 cm.)

  • Provenance: The Christopher G. Cardozo Collection

    Publication History - Image:
    The North American Indian (1907-1930), Portfolio 12, Plate #403
  • Condition: This print is in very good condition overall.
    There is a very minor, soft handling crease in the right margin of the sheet, visible in raking light. (The image area is not affected.)


    The condition reports for the lots offered by Santa Fe Art Auction (SFAA) are provided as a courtesy and convenience for potential buyers. The reports are not intended to nor do they substitute for physical examination by a buyer or the buyer's advisors. The condition reports are prepared by SFAA staff members who are not art conservators or restorers, nor do they possess the qualifications needed for comprehensive evaluation. Each condition report is an opinion of the staff member and should not be treated as a statement of fact. The absence of a condition report does not imply anything as to the condition of a particular lot. Buyers are reminded that the limited warranties are set forth in the Terms and Conditions of Sale and do not extend to condition. Each lot is sold as-is.

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April 10, 2024 10:30 AM MDT
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