Painting with Light

One of the gems of the Freer/Sackler Gallery is the impressive collection of 19th- and 20th-century photographs of scenes and figures from Asia and the Middle East. This remarkable archive is continually being augmented with still and moving graphics, film and video works by leading modern and contemporary Asian and Middle Eastern artists, photographers and film-makers. Among the many treasures of the collection is a group of 44 extremely rare photo-negative portraits of the Qing Empress Dowager of China, Cixi (1835 1908), taken by Xunling, the son of her senior lady-in-waiting. ‘Painting with Light’ features photography from the museum’s remarkable collections, revealing how the medium has shaped views of Asia from the mid-19th century to the present day. Included are portraits of the famous and the anonymous, urban and rural landscape views, posed studio images and candid shots, and photos documenting research in the field. Each photograph is accompanied by a brief description of its art historical significance or little-known aspects of its history. This is the first volume in a new series of books and apps to be published by GILES in association with the Freer|Sackler Gallery.
AUTHOR: David Hogge is head of Archives, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.
Carol Huh is assistant curator of Contemporary Asian Art, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution 200 colour photos