Je veux être seule

1979
Not on view
During the decades before and after Mali’s independence from France in 1960, Malick Sidibé operated a highly regarded commercial photography studio in the capital city of Bamako, making thousands of portraits for a burgeoning middle class. The central print represents a case of retrospective omission: the woman who commissioned this portrait returned to the studio after her husband left her and asked that he remove his image from the photograph, a request with which Sidibé complied.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Je veux être seule
  • Artist: Malick Sidibé (Malian, Soloba 1936–2016 Bamako)
  • Date: 1979
  • Medium: Gelatin silver print
  • Dimensions: 18.4 x 13.3 cm (7 1/4 x 5 1/4 in.)
  • Classification: Photographs
  • Credit Line: Gift of Jack Shainman Gallery, 2003
  • Object Number: 2003.219
  • Rights and Reproduction: © Estate of Malick Sidibé
  • Curatorial Department: Photographs

More Artwork

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.