Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a photographic photography by Allan Edgar Howes. It is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
This untitled black-and-white photograph by Allan Edgar Howes depicts a marble statue of a woman holding fruit, mounted on green card. Part of a collection bequeathed by William Kineton Parkes in 1938, it was submitted by a sculptor in response to Parkes’ inquiries in the 1920s.
Subject & Meaning
The photograph focuses on a marble statue of a woman in a contemplative pose, her head turned to the right while holding a fruit to her face. Her left hand rests on her chest. The statue’s intricate details, such as hair and clothing folds, are showcased.
Technique & Style
The photograph employs strong contrasts to highlight the statue’s textures and forms, characteristic of the chiaroscuro technique. The smooth marble of the figure contrasts with the rough, plain pedestal.
History & Provenance
Bequeathed by William Kineton Parkes in 1938, the photograph was part of a sculptor’s response to Parkes’ 1920s questionnaire project, now archived in the Archive of Art and Design.
Context
Created in response to Parkes’ initiative to gather sculptors’ responses, the photograph serves as a document of early 20th-century sculptural practice, alongside corresponding questionnaire data.
Legacy
As part of the Parkes collection, the photograph contributes to the archival record of sculptors’ techniques and artistic philosophies of the time, housed in the Archive of Art and Design.
Artist & collection
Artist
Allan Edgar Howe carried a camera like a diary, snapping mid-century streets and storefronts he’d walk past daily.
