Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art

About this Work

Generally regarded as the finest documentary photographer of the twentieth century, Walker Evans captured the spirit of American culture through its people and artifacts. Evans looked for examples of this country's religious life in out-of-the-way vignettes, such as this church interior in a central Alabama white district. Although the congregation was Primitive, or Hard Shell, Baptists that Evans described as "a no-nonsense sect that practiced total immersion," he focused not on their religious activities, but on their environment. Recording his subjects with a straight-forward honesty, claiming that "God arranged it; I wouldn't touch it," he allowed the details to tell the story. His naturalistic approach created images of both historic relevance and timeless grace and beauty. This church interior was issued in two versions: a detail focusing on the charts and organ and this broader overall view.