Sunlight on Water
1943
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
gelatin silver print mounted on paperboard
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed to image): 8.1 x 11.2 cm (3 3/16 x 4 7/16 in.) support: 25.4 x 20.2 cm (10 x 7 15/16 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Ann Solomon
Accession Number
2002.148.3
Art Historical Context
Harry Callahan's *Sunlight on Water* (1943) is a captivating gelatin silver print, a classic black-and-white photographic process prized for its rich tonal range and fine detail. Trimmed to a modest 8.1 x 11.2 cm image and mounted on a 25.4 x 20.2 cm paperboard support, this intimate work invites close contemplation, drawing viewers into the subtle interplay of light and reflection. Created during World War II, the photograph reflects Callahan's early experimental style at Chicago's Institute of Design, where he pushed photography toward abstraction. Known for transforming ordinary subjects l...
About the Artist
Harry Callahan
Harry Morey Callahan (1912–1999) was a pioneering American photographer whose self-taught ingenuity transformed everyday scenes into profound visual poetry. Born in Detroit, Michigan, he briefly studied engineering at Michigan State University before working at Chrysler, where he joined the company camera club. In 1938, Callahan took up photography as a hobby, but a 1941 lecture by Ansel Adams ins...