Stairs, Mexico City
From 1923 to 1926 Modotti and Edward Weston lived and worked together in Mexico City, operating a portrait studio to support their artistic endeavors. This brief period was characterized by an intensity of formal and technical exploration, as both sought to distill poetic essence from abstracted or fragmentary glimpses of the everyday. Here the well-trodden planks of a humble staircase inspired a modernist investigation of line and tone. By 1926 their collaboration had run its course, and Modotti began to explore social and political themes motivated by her involvement in the Communist Party.
Artwork Details
- Title: Stairs, Mexico City
- Artist: Tina Modotti (Italian, 1896–1942)
- Date: 1924–26
- Medium: Gelatin silver print
- Dimensions: 18.4 x 23.9 cm (7 1/4 x 9 7/16 in.)
- Classification: Photographs
- Credit Line: Ford Motor Company Collection, Gift of Ford Motor Company and John C. Waddell, 1987
- Object Number: 1987.1100.43
- 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.