Slow Fade to Black: Josephine Baker: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Black and white inkjet print (a) of Josephine Baker in a green frame (b).

The photograph (a) is intentionally out of focus. The figure of Josephine Baker is facing the camera holding white fabric down the center of her body and leaving the rest of her skin visible. The fabric pools at the floor around her feet. Her arms are bent and resting on her chest. Baker is mostly in shadow with her face, the white fabric in the center of her body, and the fabric behind her feet highlighted. The background is a plain backdrop. The original photograph shows the shimmering fabric Baker is holding to her chest and how it is arranged to lay over the elevated platform on which Baker stands. She has strings of pearls wrapped around her hands which fall to her knees and is wearing a layered necklace and hoop earrings. Baker's slicked down hair is clearer in the original photograph.

The photograph is inset in the frame (b). The back borders of the frame are raised and have paper tape around the edges. At the top is a sticker with the TransArt International shipping label. The center portion of the frame has two white adhesive labels, one with information about the artist, Carrie Mae Weems. The other has exhibit details and the address for the Jack Shainman Gallery. Below this tag is information about the frame with cleaning instructions highlighted in red marker. There is a corded metal wire screwed into the frame to hang the photograph.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 2009-2010
• Photograph by: Carrie Mae Weems, American, born 1953
• Subject of: Josephine Baker, American, 1906 - 1975
• Type: portraits
• Type: inkjet prints
• Medium: inkjet print (a): ink on photographic paper;
• Medium: frame (b): acrylic, wood, wire and metal
• Dimensions: H x W (Image): 11 3/4 × 8 3/4 in. (29.8 × 22.2 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W x D (Frame): 12 7/8 × 9 7/8 × 1 1/2 in. (32.7 × 25.1 × 3.8 cm)
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Actors
• Topic: Art
• Topic: Dance
• Topic: Entertainers
• Topic: Jazz (Music)
• Topic: Photography
• Topic: Singers (Musicians)
• Object number: 2017.20.1ab
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Jo Carole and Ronald S. Lauder in honor of Richard and Laura Parsons, Colin and Alma Powell, and Darren Walker
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: © Carrie Mae Weems Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.