Harry Callahan
American (Detroit, Michigan, 1912 - 1999, Atlanta, Georgia)Eleanor and Barbara, Chicago
Harry Callahan was a most unlikely artist. A college dropout with no training or interest in art, he bought his first camera while clerking in the accounting department of the Chrysler Corporation in Detroit. He did not come to photography seeking a means to express himself, but, rather, through photography, accidentally discovered his inner artist.
His primary subjects are the things he knew best: the natural and built landscapes of the Midwest and his nuclear family. At once a portrait and a compositional study, this photograph of his wife, Eleanor, and his daughter, Barbara, exemplifies Callahan's commitment to formal experimentation. Here he successfully composes his shot around a telephone pole that rigidly bisects the picture plane.
A revered teacher at the Institute of Design in Chicago and, later, the Rhode Island School of Design, Callahan inspired legions of students with his cool, clean aesthetic.
Keywords
women, girls, wives, daughters, portraits, walls, poles, coats
From June 3, 2013, through early 2016, SFMOMA's building on Third Street in San Francisco will be temporarily closed for expansion construction. Selected artworks in our collection are included in a range of off-site exhibitions during this period. We regret that the remainder of the collection will not be available for study during this time.
In the meantime, we invite you to explore a wide selection of our collection online. Please note that the information presented online is subject to revision. Please contact us at collections@sfmoma.org to verify artwork details.
This resource is for educational use and its contents may not be reproduced without permission. Please review our Terms of Use for more information.
