Migratory Cotton Picker, Eloy, Arizona (Primary Title)
Dorothea Lange, American, 1895 – 1965 (Artist)
One of the most influential photographers of the Great Depression, Dorothea Lange traveled to Arizona in 1940 to document the working conditions of cotton workers. Migratory Cotton Picker, which is cropped from a larger image, is a close- up portrait of an anonymous migrant worker who pauses, leaning against a fence with his cotton sack thrown over his shoulder. He presents his hand to the camera in an attempt to obscure part of his face but unexpectedly offers perhaps a more intimate portrait. His worn fingertips and the deep lines of his palm—evidence of the harsh practice of picking cotton— reveal a lifetime of manual labor.
Studio stamp on back of sheet, PHOTOGRAPH BY / DOROTHEA LANGE / 1164 EUCLID AVENUE / BERKELEY / CALIFORNIA
Written on back in pencil, BAE 332
Arthur and Margaret Glasgow Fund
The Likeness of Labor, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, October 17, 2015 - April 10, 2016
©artist or artist’s estate
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