Barcelona—Courtyard of Hotel Ritz under Awnings

Front / Recto

• Title Barcelona—Courtyard of Hotel Ritz under Awnings
• Negative Date June 11, 1935
• Print Date 1935–39
• Medium Gelatin silver print
• Dimensions Image 13 7/8 × 10 15/16" (35.2 × 27.8 cm)
  
• Place Taken Barcelona
• Credit Line Thomas Walther Collection. Gift of Charles Sheeler, by exchange
• MoMA Accession Number 1892.2001
• Copyright © Carl Van Vechten Trust

Back / Verso

• Mount Type No mount
• Marks and Inscriptions Embossed on sheet recto, bottom right: PHOTOGRAPH BY/CARL VAN VECHTEN. Inscribed in black ink on sheet verso, center: Barcelona/Courtyard of Hotel Ritz/under awnings/E i ete [E i ete crossed out]/June 11. 1935. Stamped in black ink on sheet verso, center: PHOTOGRAPH BY CARL VAN VECHTEN/146 CENTRAL PARK WEST/CANNOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT PERMISSION. Inscribed in pencil on sheet verso, bottom center: XLII h 32.
• Provenance The artist. Sold through Sotheby's New York (sale 6497, lot 134) to William L. Schaeffer, Chester, Conn., April 6, 1993 [1]; purchased by Thomas Walther, 1994 [2]; purchased by The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 2001.
  [1] MacGill/Walther 2001(3), p. 24.
  [2] William L. Schaeffer Photographic Works of Art invoice, n.d.

Surface

• Surface Sheen Semireflective
• Techniques Retouching (additive)
  Enlargement
  
• PTM
  

  Detail 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 Imperial
• Weight Double weight
• Thickness (mm) 0.29
• UV Fluorescence Recto negative
  Verso negative
• Fiber Analysis Softwood bleached sulfite 97%
  Hardwood bleached sulfite 3%
  
• 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: Al, P, S, Zn, Br, Sr, Ag, Ba
  • Verso: Al, Si, S, K, Ca, Fe, Zn, Br, 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, K, Ca, Ag, Ba

  

  Areas examined: Recto (Dmax: black; Dmin: green), Verso or Mount (blue), Background (red)
  Elements identified: Fe, Zn, Br, Sr, Ag

In Context

Related Images

Carl Van Vechten. Untitled. 1930s. From a series of fifteen photogravures, each 8 7/8 x 5 7/8" (22.6 x 14.9 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of Richard Benson. © Carl Van Vechten Trust

Related People

• Artist

  • Carl Van Vechten