The Unborn

1941

Not on view

Laughlin worked in New Orleans and found inspiration in the city’s faded grandeur. He developed what he termed as his own “visual poetry” by borrowing elements from modern photography—such as strong compositions and highly glossy printing techniques—and imbuing his images with mysterious symbolism. Here, Laughlin stages a tableau of enigmatic richness: a woman in black stands amid broken mirror shards and crumbling walls, holding a wood frame out of which stares the decapitated head of a sculpture. The blurred movement of the woman’s veil emphasizes the scene’s surreal, ghostly quality.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

Title: The Unborn
Artist: Clarence John Laughlin (American, 1905–1985)
Date: 1941
Medium: Gelatin silver print
Classification: Photographs
Credit Line: David Hunter McAlpin Fund, 1948
Object Number: 48.116.7
Rights and Reproduction: © Copyright The Historic New Orleans Collection. Neg. acc. no. 1983.47.1.2756.
Curatorial Department: Photographs

More Artwork

By Clarence John Laughlin

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New Orleans Cemetery: Gate of the Weeping Cherub, No. 1, Clarence John Laughlin American, Gelatin silver print — New Orleans Cemetery: Gate of the Weeping Cherub, No. 1
Clarence John Laughlin
1946

Black and White, No. 3, Clarence John Laughlin American, Gelatin silver print — Black and White, No. 3
Clarence John Laughlin
1941

The Sinister Old Lady, Clarence John Laughlin American, Gelatin silver print — The Sinister Old Lady
Clarence John Laughlin
1948

The Iron Shell, No. 4, Clarence John Laughlin American, Gelatin silver print — The Iron Shell, No. 4
Clarence John Laughlin
1949

The Light-Saturated Church, Clarence John Laughlin American, Gelatin silver print — The Light-Saturated Church
Clarence John Laughlin
1957

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