Church Interior, Alabama
| Artist | Walker Evans (American, 1903–1975) |
|---|---|
| Title | Church Interior, Alabama |
| Date | 1936, printed 1994 |
| Medium | Gelatin silver print |
| Dimensions | Sheet: 8 1/16 x 9 15/16 in. (20.5 x 25.2 cm) |
| Credit Line | Transfer from the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture, IUPUI |
| Accession Number | 95.11 |
| This artwork is currently off display. You may be able to see this artwork by filling out an art viewing room request. | |
This image depicts the interior of a room in a church with a view of two windows, a portable organ, wall chart, and pews.
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.
| Printer | Library of Congress |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Farm Security Administration |
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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"Church Interior, Alabama | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=95.11