Mother and Son
| Artist | Henry Holmes Smith (American, 1909–1986) |
|---|---|
| Title | Mother and Son |
| Date | June 13, 1971 |
| Medium | Dye transfer print |
| Dimensions | Image: 12 7/8 × 8 3/4 in. (32.7 × 22.2 cm) Sheet: 13 15/16 × 11 1/16 in. (35.4 × 28.1 cm) Mount: 19 15/16 × 16 in. (50.6 × 40.6 cm) |
| Credit Line | Henry Holmes Smith Archive, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University |
| Accession Number | 79.200.XV.23 |
| This artwork is currently off display. You may be able to see this artwork by filling out an art viewing room request. | |
A color photograph depicts two abstract shapes at the center of the composition, possibly representing figures. The image features light blue, pale pink, and white tones and striations.
In addition to being an influential photo theorist, historian, and educator (and the first professor of photography at Indiana University), Henry Holmes Smith was also a groundbreaking cameraless photographer. He used simple tools—light and a lens made by pouring corn syrup down a sheet of glass—to create refraction drawings (or photograms), which he then transferred to matrix film. From these he created many different color combinations in dye transfer or silkscreen prints. Although nonrepresentational, his “drawn” images often recall deep human emotions and concepts. Smith’s archetypal themes range from giants and jesters to lovers and families. Mother and Son, with its smaller, single-eyed figurative form holding a cane, recalls the tragic myth of Oedipus. The noose- and vein-like strings add to its visceral impact.
1979, Indiana University Art Museum purchase from Henry Holmes Smith
Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.
November 9, 1985–March 9, 1986, "New Spirit in American Photography," Krannert Art Museum, Champaign, IL, November 9–December 22, 1985; Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME, January 12–March 9, 1986
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Cite this page
"Mother and Son | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=79.200.XV.23