India (Robed Men) | Harvard Art Museums

Identification and Creation

Object Number: 2008.12
People: William Gedney
Title: India (Robed Men)
Classification: Photographs
Work Type: photograph
Date: c. 1970
Places: Creation Place: South Asia, India, Uttar Pradesh, Benares
Culture: American
Persistent Link: https://hvrd.art/o/323615

Physical Descriptions

Medium: Silver gelatin print
Dimensions: 28.89 x 19.37 cm (11 3/8 x 7 5/8 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History: Howard Greenberg Gallery.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line: Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Purchase through the generosity of Jose M. Soriano
Accession Year: 2008
Object Number: 2008.12
Division: Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact: am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions: The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request.

Descriptions

Description: This composition captures a street scene with five men draped in light-colored robes standing in the foreground. The cloth slides off the head of the right figure, revealing his bald, shaved crown. This may indicate that these men are a group of Brahmin priests, who are a common presence in the ritual center of Varanasi. While the priests look down or away from the camera, a figure sitting in a covered rickshaw gazes directly towards it, meeting the viewer's gaze. This photograph reveals Gedney's strong interest in capturing the play of light upon and bodies beneath drapery.

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu

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