Hillary Bisonó Ortega, 2021
On Henry Callahan
Henry Callahan, an American photographer, was born on October 22, 1912, in the city of Detroit, Michigan. His artworks include Eleanor, Chicago, Chicago, 1949, Lake Michigan, and more. Most of Harry Callahan’s notable pieces include his wife, named Eleanor, often depicted in nude and surrounded by dark shadows, grand landscapes, or both. Eleanor and Harry both met in 1933 while working at Chrysler Motors in Detroit where Harry was a clerk at the firm, and Eleanor was a secretary. The two were then married three years later and formed an intimate and loving relationship. Eleanor served as Henry Callahan’s muse as he photographed and composed whimsical portraits of her.
In this specific gelatin silver print image, Callahan captured his wife, Eleanor, in an overwhelmingly large environment. In comparison to the extravagant form of this image, Eleanor is sprinkled in a soft light which accentuates her gentle curves and small frame. Callahan’s eye for lighting, and capturing it in both its harshest and softest states, heightens the sensuality and ownership of this image. As an image apart of Callahan’s collection, Eleanor, Chicago, it is clear that two recurring themes in Callahan’s prints involve Eleanor’s nudity and the vastness of the environment. In this case, despite having her back facing towards the camera, Eleanor is easily identifiable, considering Callahan’s intent of capturing her under a veil of soft lighting. Eleanor serves as a powerful reminder that though enveloped in such a landscape or an empty room, as in this case, she fills the room with her delicate feminine presence. Callahan simultaneously enjoyed capturing the landscapes he revered and the woman he loved — such a meticulous structure and form of this image proves so.
Henry Callahan’s vast array of photo work is currently being displayed at the Modern Museum of Modern Art (MoMA); there are 243 works available online, including Eleanor, Chicago1. As one views the online archive of this photo exhibition, most of Callahan’s works involving Eleanor, too, involves the beauty of nature and space. In this specific image, although we are placed inside an ambiguous and expanse of space, the dilapidated and ornate architecture of the space heightens the divinity and softness of this image.
References
- Henry Callahan American 1912-1999 https://www.moma.org/artists/924?=undefined&page=&direction=#works
