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A black and white photo of four smoked cigarettes

Irving Penn (American, 1917–2009), Cigarette No. 86, New York, 1972, printed 1974, platinum palladium print mounted on aluminum, The Edwin and Virginia Irwin Memorial, 2009.155

A black and white photo of ornate glass objects

Ludwig Belitski (German, 1830–1902), Glassware, 1854, salt print, Museum Purchase: FotoFocus Art Purchase Fund, 2017.53

A black and white photo of a sunflower

Albert Renger-Patzsch (German, 1897–1966), Sunflower, circa 1930, gelatin silver print, The Albert P. Strietmann Collection, 1980.22

A color photo of two red plates filled with corn on a blue polka dot fabric

Sandy Skoglund (American, b. 1946), Two Plates of Corn, 1978, dye destruction print, Museum Purchase with funds provided by Carl Jacobs, 2004.158

A black and white photo of a flower in a bowl of water

Consuelo Kanaga (American, 1894–1978), Camellia, 1943, gelatin silver print, Museum Purchase: Gift of Charles H. Kellogg, by exchange, and Various Deaccession Funds, 1994.58

A black and white photo of a twisted pepper

Edward Weston (American, 1886–1958), Pepper No. 34, 1930, printed 1955, gelatin silver print, Museum Purchase, 1976.33

A color photo of a table scene on a grey background

Laura Letinsky (Canadian, b. 1962), Untitled, #27 from the series Ill Form & Full Void, 2011, inkjet print, The Edwin and Virginia Irwin Memorial, 2013.58

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The Thing Is: Photographs from the Collection

November 11, 2025– March 1, 2026

Gallery 213
Free admission
Friends of Photography

When photography was invented in 1839, it seemed to engender a new, direct relationship between an object and its image. Early observers remarked, in awe, that a thing placed in front of a camera caused its own likeness to appear. Nearly 190 years later, we understand that photographs are not automatic renditions, but rather images created by humans with specific intentions. Yet, we still sometimes look through photographs rather than at them—as if a photograph of a pepper were a pepper, rather than a carefully shaped representation.

Drawn from the museum’s rich collection of photography, this installation invites you to consider how photographers have pictured objects—from enticing advertisements to sophisticated artistic statements. Featured artists include Bernd and Hilla Becher, Ludwig Belitski, Walker Evans, Hans Finsler, Consuelo Kanaga, Laura Letinsky, Guennadi Maslov, Irving Penn, Albert Renger-Patzsch, Aaron Siskind, Sandy Skoglund, Ralph Steiner, and Edward Weston.

This exhibition has an accessible pathway.

 

Featured Media

How Images Make the Objects We Desire Seem Irresistible Perspectives

Find out more about modernist photography’s role in early twentieth-century advertising.

Laura Letinsky: Inspiration Video

Watch featured artist Laura Letinsky discuss her inspiration and process.

Who are Hilla and Bernd Becher? Perspectives

Learn more about featured artists Bernd and Hilla Becher, their influence, and their fascination with industrial forms.

Stereographs Perspectives

Curious about stereographs? Look here!