The signature and inscription visible here are typically hidden under a mat board when the photograph is exhibited. Rauschenberg signed the photograph, and his studio assistant Bradley Jeffries added the title, date, and
“#2” (indicating that this is the second print of this photo to be made). Although it is inscribed 1952, recent research by the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation confirms a date of 1953 based on the date when Cunningham first occupied the studio where the picture was taken. This print was made in 1981.
View of Robert Rauschenberg’s Merce with signature and inscription visible
Part of the Rauschenberg Research Project
Related to Merce, 1953, printed 1981
View of Robert Rauschenberg’s Merce with signature and inscription visible
Related to Merce, 1953, printed 1981
Part of the Rauschenberg Research Project

View of Robert Rauschenberg’s Merce (1953) with the artist's signature and a studio inscription visible below the photograph