Three Generations of a Family
| Artist | August Sander (German, 1876–1964) |
|---|---|
| Title | Three Generations of a Family |
| Series | Stammappe (Archetypes) |
| Date | 1912 |
| Medium | Gelatin silver print |
| Dimensions | Image: 8 7/8 × 11 3/4 in. (22.5 × 29.8 cm) Sheet: 8 7/8 × 11 3/4 in. (22.5 × 29.8 cm) Mount: 17 3/8 × 13 3/8 in. (44.1 × 34 cm) |
| Credit Line | Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University |
| Accession Number | 81.51.1 |
| This artwork is currently off display. You may be able to see this artwork by filling out an art viewing room request. | |
This is a portrait of five family members, including parents, grandparents and children. The family is seated and standing outside, in front of trees.
In 1910, August Sander set up a portrait studio in Cologne-Lindenthal, but he also went into the countryside photographing the peasants of Westerwald. This farm family was featured in the portfolio Stammappe (Archetypes), a visual preface to Sander’s lifelong documentary project that went beyond merely capturing the likenesses of his sitters to forming a comprehensive record of People of the Twentieth Century. Comprised of more than 540 portraits, it cut across all social strata to produce a remarkable record of German life prior to World War II. Photographed in traditional costumes within their actual domestic or workplace environments, Sander’s diverse subjects, presented with a new objectivity, clearly frightened the Nazis, who censored his work in 1934.
| Series Title | Stammappe (Archetypes) |
|---|
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.
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"Three Generations of a Family | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=81.51.1