Sequoia Gigantea Roots, Yosemite National Park, California
c. 1950, printed 1981
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
overall: 38.6 x 49.2 cm (15 3/16 x 19 3/8 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Virginia B. Adams
Accession Number
1986.3.28
Art Historical Context
In the majestic Yosemite National Park, Ansel Adams the awe-inspiring roots of a *Sequoia Gigantea* in this gelatin silver print from around 1950, printed in 1981. Adams, a master of black-and-white photography and a key figure in the straight photography movement, devoted much of his career to documenting American West's natural wonders. Yosemite was his lifelong muse, where he honed his signature style of dramatic tonal range and precise detail, often using his renowned Zone System to render light and shadow with unparalleled clarity. This 38.6 x 49.2 cm photograph exemplifies Adams' abilit...
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...