Sand Dunes, Sunrise, Death Valley National Monument, California
c. 1948, printed 1980
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
overall: 35.9 x 45.6 cm (14 1/8 x 17 15/16 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Virginia B. Adams
Accession Number
1986.3.9
Art Historical Context
Ansel Adams captured the stark beauty of *Sand Dunes, Sunrise, Death Valley National Monument, California* around 1948, showcasing his lifelong dedication to preserving the American landscape through photography. A leading figure in the straight photography movement and co-founder of Group f/64, Adams used precise technique to reveal the intricate textures and dramatic light of natural environments. This gelatin silver print, made from a negative taken in the vast desert expanse, highlights the interplay of early morning light across rippling sand, transforming an arid scene into a study of fo...
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...