Oak Tree, Rain, Sonoma County, California
c. 1960, printed 1980
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
overall: 49.3 x 38.1 cm (19 7/16 x 15 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Virginia B. Adams
Accession Number
1986.3.48
Art Historical Context
In the misty embrace of Sonoma County's rolling hills, Ansel Adams captures the timeless resilience of an ancient oak tree in *Oak Tree, Rain, Sonoma, California* (c. 1960, printed 1980). A master of black-and-white landscape photography and co-founder of the f/64 Group, Adams revered the American West's natural grandeur, often portraying California's diverse terrains with unparalleled clarity and drama. This gelatin silver print, measuring 19 7/16 x 15 inches, evokes the quiet power of a rain-soaked scene, where droplets and shadows play across gnarled branches, inviting viewers to feel the e...
About the Artist
Ansel Adams
Ansel Adams, born on February 20, 1902, in San Francisco, California, grew up as the only child of Charles Hitchcock Adams, a businessman and astronomy enthusiast who tutored him at home, and Olive Bray, with whom he had a distant relationship. A hyperactive child prone to illness, Adams struggled in formal schooling and was educated by private tutors and his father until graduating from eighth gr...