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Ancestral figure

Walker Evans

1935

photographic

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Early Modern

Dominant colour

Ancestral figure is a 1935 photographic by Walker Evans, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Walker Evans
When & what style?: 1935
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This is a black-and-white photo of a wooden figure. It stands tall and stiff, with a simple, geometric shape. The figure has a smooth head with straight, carved lines for eyes and a flat nose. Its arms are straight at its sides, and its legs are wide apart, almost like a tripod. The wood looks worn, with dark and light patches showing age or carving marks. This photo was taken by Walker Evans in 1935. He focused on everyday objects and people, often in a straightforward way. Next, check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more items in their collection.

The story of this work

Overview

Walker Evans photographed an ancestral figure displayed in the Museum of Modern Art, New York’s 1935 exhibition titled *African Negro Art*. The museum commissioned him to create 477 images of the exhibition’s objects, from which 17 complete sets were printed. The Victoria and Albert Museum acquired one set for $50. The photograph depicts a single ancestral figure from the exhibition.

Read the full account in the museum source.