The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of May 14, 2024

Sun over the Pacific (Devil's Slide)

Sun over the Pacific (Devil's Slide)

1947
(American, 1908–1976)
publisher

Light Gallery

America, 20th century
gelatin silver print
Image: 18.2 x 25.2 cm (7 3/16 x 9 15/16 in.); Paper: 27.5 x 34.9 cm (10 13/16 x 13 3/4 in.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Mann 1986.221.1
© 1982 Trustees of Princeton University
Location: not on view

Description

Minor White believed that an image could correspond to an inner state or feeling. In 1963 he wrote that a photograph could be experienced on three levels: the picture itself, the thoughts in the viewer's mind when seeing the photograph, and the experience of remembering the image later. In this sweeping panorama of the Pacific Ocean, the gradations of light and shadow on the rippled surface of the water and the band of dark clouds above serve as a dramatic foil for the radiance of the setting sun. The photograph suggests infinite space, yet its formal qualities—light, tone, and texture—are compelling on their own. White held an abiding interest in the fleeting effects of nature and the power of the environment to awe and inspire.
  • Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Mann
    March 16, 1987
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Cleveland Museum of Art, Tom E Hinson. Catalogue of Photography. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1996. Reproduced: P. 392
  • American Space: Landscape Photography 1900-1950. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (January 6-May 23, 2001).
    Cleveland, Ohio: The Cleveland Museum of Art; January 3-May 23, 2001. "American Space: Landscape Photography, 1900-1950."
  • {{cite web|title=Sun over the Pacific (Devil's Slide)|url=false|author=Minor White, Light Gallery|year=1947|access-date=14 May 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1986.221.1