The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 23, 2024

Portrait of Clarence H. White (1871-1925)

Portrait of Clarence H. White (1871-1925)

c. 1898
(American, 1857–1941)
Image: 20.2 x 14.9 cm (7 15/16 x 5 7/8 in.); Matted: 45.7 x 35.6 cm (18 x 14 in.)
Location: not on view

Description

A native of Newark, Ohio, Spencer was a talented photographer who received national and international recognition for her work created in the prevailing Pictorial style. As a founder of the Newark Camera Club, she met and encouraged the young photographer Clarence White and then studied under him, assimilating his ability to render portraits with an innate gentleness. In this image, Spencer skillfully orchestrated the composition and captured the subtle effects of natural light. She looked to her teacher's early work when applying soft graphite strokes to the finished photograph for structural emphasis and tonal shading. This charming portrait celebrates the simple pleasures of unhurried living, like reading a book in a sun-filled room.
  • Cleveland Museum of Art, Tom E Hinson. Catalogue of Photography. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1996. Reproduced: P. 328
    McCauley, Elizabeth Anne, Peter C. Bunnell, Clarence H. White, Peter C. Bunnell, Verna Posever Curtis, Perrin M. Lathrop, Adrienne Lundgren, Barbara L. Michaels, Ying Sze Pek, and Caitlin Ryan, 9. Clarence H. White and his world: the art & craft of photography, 1895-1925. Princeton, New Jersey : Princeton University Art Museum, 2017. Reproduced: p. 9.
  • Clarence H. White and His World: The Art and Craft of Photography, 1895-1925. Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton, NJ (organizer) (October 7, 2017-January 7, 2018); Davis Museum and Cultural Center, Wellesley, MA (February 13-June 3, 2018); Portland Museum of Art, Portland, ME (June 22-September 16, 2018); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (October 21, 2018-January 21, 2019).
    Shadows and Dreams: Pictorialist Photography in America. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (September 5, 2015-January 17, 2016).
    Artists Photographing Artists. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 13, 2001-February 27, 2002).
    Year in Review: 1980. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (June 24-July 19, 1981).
  • {{cite web|title=Portrait of Clarence H. White (1871-1925)|url=false|author=Ema Spencer|year=c. 1898|access-date=23 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1980.174