Who painted Portfolio XVI, Plate 573: Acoma Water Girls?

Portfolio XVI, Plate 573: Acoma Water Girls was painted by Edward S. Curtis in 1904.

Where can I see Portfolio XVI, Plate 573: Acoma Water Girls?

Portfolio XVI, Plate 573: Acoma Water Girls is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

Artwork

Portfolio XVI, Plate 573: Acoma Water Girls

Edward S. Curtis , 1904

Portfolio XVI, Plate 573: Acoma Water Girls is a work on paper by Edward S. Curtis. It dates from 1904 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Portfolio XVI, Plate 573, titled “Acoma Water Girls,” is a 1904 work by photographer Edward S.

About this work

Overview

Portfolio XVI, Plate 573, titled “Acoma Water Girls,” is a 1904 work by photographer Edward S. Curtis. The image is part of a larger photographic series and is currently in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. It records a moment of daily labor among women traversing a stark hillside while balancing sizable water containers on their heads.

Subject & Meaning

The composition shows four women ascending a barren, rocky slope, each bearing a large clay or ceramic vessel. Their dark garments and modest head coverings reflect traditional attire, suggesting a specific cultural group, likely the Acoma Pueblo. The scene emphasizes the routine endurance required of women tasked with transporting water in arid environments.

Technique & Style

Curtis employs a muted tonal palette, allowing the stark landscape and the figures’ silhouettes to dominate the frame. The straightforward composition, with minimal background detail, focuses attention on the physical effort of the subjects. The photograph’s clarity and lack of ornamentation convey a sense of humility and unembellished realism.

History & Provenance

Created during Curtis’s extensive documentation of Native American life in the early twentieth century, the plate was later incorporated into his published portfolios. The Cleveland Museum of Art acquired the image as part of its holdings of early American photography, preserving it as a visual record of indigenous labor practices at the turn of the century.