Untitled (Protective Helmet)
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
photomontage
Dimensions
image: 36 x 29 cm (14 3/16 x 11 7/16 in.) sheet: 50 x 40 cm (19 11/16 x 15 3/4 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Patrons' Permanent Fund
Accession Number
2001.67.255
Art Historical Context
Alexander Zhitomirsky's *Untitled (Protective Helmet (1971) is a compelling example of Soviet photomontage, a technique where photographs are meticulously cut, layered, and reassembled to create surreal, often satirical compositions. At 36 x 29 cm (image), this intimate work draws viewers close, rewarding scrutiny of its dynamic juxtapositions. Zhitomirsky, a Russian artist active during the Cold War, mastered photomontage to blend documentary realism with biting commentary, echoing Dadaist roots while adapting it for political critique under Soviet censorship. Created amid the Brezhnev era's...