Retired Man and His Wife at Home in a Nudist Camp One Morning, N.J.
1963
Diane Arbus (American, 1923-1971)
Not on View

Diane Arbus is recognized for her unflinching, confrontational style. Although she began her career in the world of commercial fashion photography, in the early 1960s she began making portraits of the mentally handicapped, the homeless, and other marginalized people, in their day-to-day surroundings. In this work, the viewer catches a brief glimpse into the normally unseen lives of nudists. Far from shocking, the rotund woman and man, in their sunlit living room, comfortably gaze at the camera. Both individuals, nude except for their footwear, smile in the midst of their otherwise very ordinary living room.

Details

  • Artist Name: Diane Arbus (American, 1923-1971)
  • Title: Retired Man and His Wife at Home in a Nudist Camp One Morning, N.J.
  • Date: 1963
  • Medium: Gelatin silver print
  • Dimensions: Image: 13 x 12-5/8 in. (33.0 x 32.1 cm); Paper: 19-7/8 x 16 in. (50.5 x 40.6 cm)
  • Credit Line: Norton Simon Museum, Museum Purchase, Men's Committee Fund
  • Accession Number: PH.1970.005

Object Information

Face It: The Photographic Portrait

  • Norton Simon Museum, 2014-04-04 to 2014-08-11

Diane Arbus Revelations

  • San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 2003-10-25 to 2004-02-08
  • Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2004-02-29 to 2004-05-30

Selections from the Permanent Collection of Photography

  • Pasadena Museum of Modern Art, 1973-06-05 to 1973-07-29

Confrontations and Dialogues: The Figure in Photography

  • Norton Simon Museum, 1992-06-04 to 1992-11-15

Permanent Photography Collection

  • Pasadena Museum of Modern Art, 1973-09-12 to 1973-09-28
  • Arbus, Doon, et al., Diane Arbus: Revelations, 2003, p. 253
  • Gloria Williams, The Collectible Moment: Catalogue of Photographs in the Norton Simon Museum, 2006, cat. 76 p. 136

Additional Artwork by Artist

A Family on Their Lawn One Sunday in Westchester, N.Y. Diane Arbus 1968
A Naked Man Being a Woman, N.Y.C. Diane Arbus 1968

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