Front / Recto

  • Title Untitled (Alma Siedhoff-Buscher)
  • Negative Date 1926–29
  • Print Date 1926–29
  • Medium Gelatin silver print
  • Dimensions Image 3 x 3 3/8" (7.6 x 8.6 cm)
  • Place Taken Dessau
  • Credit Line Thomas Walther Collection. Gift of Thomas Walther
  • MoMA Accession Number 1900.2001
  • Copyright © 2015 Estate of Johan Niegeman

Back / Verso

  • Mount Type No mount
  • Marks and Inscriptions Inscribed in pencil on sheet verso, top right: 16. Inscribed in pencil on sheet verso, center: 20 [crossed out]. Inscribed in pencil on sheet verso, bottom left: 42. Inscribed in pencil on sheet verso, bottom right: TW 880304.
  • Provenance The artist. Willem Diepraam, Amsterdam [1]; to The Tartt Gallery, Washington, D.C., early 1980s [2]; purchased by Thomas Walther, March 1988 [3]; given to The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 2001.
    [1] Jo Tartt, conversation with Simon Bieling, New York, June 9, 2005.
    [2] Ibid.; and MacGIll/Walther 2000, p. 41.
    [3] Thomas Walther archival no. TW880304 on sheet verso; and The Tartt Gallery invoice no. 1308, March 9, 1988.

Surface

  • Surface Sheen Semireflective
  • Techniques Contact print
  • PTM
    View of the recto of the artwork made using reflectance transformation imaging (RTI) software, which exaggerates subtle surface details and renders the features of the artwork plainly visible. Department of Conservation, MoMA
  • Micro-raking
    Raking-light close-up image, as shot. Area of detail is 6.7 x 6.7 mm. Department of Conservation, MoMA
    Raking-light close-up image, processed. Processing included removal of color, equalization of the histogram, and sharpening, all designed to enhance visual comparison. Department of Conservation, MoMA

Paper Material

  • Format Unknown
  • Weight Light weight
  • Thickness (mm) 0.15
  • UV Fluorescence Recto negative
    Verso negative
  • Fiber Analysis Softwood bleached sulfite 47%
    Hardwood bleached sulfite 1%
    Rag 47%
    Bast 6%
    Softwood bleached sulfite
  • Material Techniques Developing-out paper
  • XRF

    This work was determined to be a gelatin silver print via X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry.

    The following elements have been positively identified in the work, through XRF readings taken from its recto and verso (or from the mount, where the verso was not accessible):

    • Recto: P, S, Cl, Ca, Zn, Sr, Ag, Ba
    • Verso: Al, Si, S, K, Ca, Fe, Zn, Sr, Ba

    The graphs below show XRF spectra for three areas on the print: two of the recto—from areas of maximum and minimum image density (Dmax and Dmin)—and one of the verso or mount. The background spectrum represents the contribution of the XRF instrument itself. The first graph shows elements identified through the presence of their characteristic peaks in the lower energy range (0 to 8 keV). The second graph shows elements identified through the presence of their characteristic peaks in the higher energy range (8 to 40 keV).

    Areas examined: Recto (Dmax: black; Dmin: green), Verso or Mount (blue), Background (red)
    Elements identified: Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ag, Ba
    Areas examined: Recto (Dmax: black; Dmin: green), Verso or Mount (blue), Background (red)
    Elements identified: Fe, Zn, Sr, Ag

In Context

Related People

For best results, please enable JavaScript.