Dona Antônia, Grande Sertão Veredas National Park, Brazil
1999, printed 2001
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
image: 99.06 x 74.93 cm (39 x 29 1/2 in.) framed: 100.33 × 76.2 × 3.81 cm (39 1/2 × 30 × 1 1/2 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Joseph M. Cohen Family Collection
Accession Number
2014.156.1
Art Historical Context
In the vast, sun-scorched landscapes of Sertão Veredas Park in Brazil, photographer Fazal Sheikh captured *Dona Antônia* 1999, printing this poignant portrait two years later. Named after João Guimarães Rosa epic novel evoking the sertão's frontier life, the park symbolizes Brazil's wild interior, home to resilient communities enduring harsh arid conditions. Sheikh, renowned for his empathetic documentary photography of marginalized peoples worldwide, here turns his lens to a local woman, inviting viewers to connect with her quiet dignity amid nature's expanse. This large-scale gelatin silver...