Sonora
1994
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
image: 37.6 x 37.3 cm (14 13/16 x 14 11/16 in.) sheet: 50.5 x 40.6 cm (19 7/8 x 16 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Patrons' Permanent Fund
Accession Number
2001.22.389
Art Historical Context
**Sonora, 1994** Lee Friedlander’s *Sonora* is a captivating gelatin silver print, a medium celebrated for its luminous tonal range and tactile depth, capturing the essence of mid-20th-century photographic innovation. Created in 1994, this square-format image (37.6 x 37.3 cm) exemplifies Friedlander’s mature vision, acquired by the National Gallery of Art through the Patrons’ Permanent. As a master of street photography, Friedlander transformed everyday scenes into visual puzzles, often layering reflections, shadows, and signage in his densely composed black-and-white works. Friedlander, a ...
About the Artist
Lee Friedlander
Lee Friedlander, born on July 14, 1934, in Aberdeen, Washington, to a Finnish-descended mother, Kaari Nurmi, and German-Jewish émigré father, Fritz Friedlander, discovered photography at age 14 amid a fascination with the medium's equipment. Tragedy marked his childhood when his mother died of cancer at age seven, yet he pursued his passion, earning pocket money with a camera before studying under...