Francesca Woodman

1975-76

Gift of the photographer to the present owner, 1970s, when students together at the Rhode Island School of Design

Corey Keller, ed., Francesca Woodman (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 2011), p. 40

Gabriele Schor and Elizabeth Bronfen, eds., Francesca Woodman: Works from Sammlung Verbund (Cologne, 2014), p. 292

This early print, on slightly creamy single-weight paper with a surface sheen, is in generally good condition. As is sometimes typical of Francesca Woodman's lifetime prints, it has been printed slightly asymmetrically on the sheet. The upper left margin corner is creased. In raking light, small soft handling creases that do not break the emulsion are visible throughout, primarily in the wide margins. On the reverse of the print is faint soiling.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In the 1970s, artists' books and narrative sequences of images, exemplified by those of such artists as Duane Michals, became popular. Francesca Woodman created six unique sequenced narrative books of photographs, among them Portrait of a Reputation.  The image offered here is a variant of the fourth image in that work, which Chris Townsend describes as 'a powerful allegory of the experience of being touched, as if being stained by that act' (Francesca Woodman, p. 236).