L to R: 1: “Untitled,” 1980, 5 5/8 x 5 9/16 in. Gelatin silver print | 2: “Untitled,” 1980, 4 15/16 x 4 15/16 in. Gelatin silver print | 3: “Zig Zag (Dress),” 1980, 36 1/2 x 92 in. Diazotype | 4: “Untitled,” 1979, 5 5 1/8 in. Gelatin silver print | 5: “Untitled,” 1979, 3 13/16 x 3 13/16 in. Gelatin silver print | 6: “Untitled,” 1980, 4 15/16 x 4 15/16 in. Gelatin silver print | 7: “I'm Trying My Hand at Fashion Photography,” 1977, 4 11/16 x 4 15/16 in. Gelatin silver print | 8: “Untitled,” c. 1979-80, 6 3/16 x 9 in. Gelatin silver print | 9: “Untitled,” c. 1979-80, 5 3/8 x 5 7/16 in. Gelatin silver print | 10: “Untitled,” c. 1979-80, 6 5/8 x 6 3/4 in. Gelatin silver print. All artworks by Francesca Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Francesca Woodman. “Untitled,” 1980, 5 5/8 x 5 9/16 in. Gelatin silver print © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Alice Butler on Francesca Woodman in "Gestures: A Body of Work," 2025: READING ROOM
In "Gestures: A Body of Work," first published this year, editors Alice Butler, Nell Osborne, and Hilary White compile a series of essays which explore embodied, affective, and political gesture in feminist art and writing. In her own contribution to the collection, Butler delves into the ways Woodman uses textiles in her photographs and their relationship to bodies and touch.
L to R: George Woodman. “285” or “Bari” or “Winterreise”, 1975, 65 x 65 in. Acrylic on canvas | Francesca Woodman. “Untitled”, c. 1975-78, 6 5/8 x 6 9/16 in. Gelatin silver print | Betty Woodman. “Joined Vases”, 1972, 11 1/2 x 23 x 10 in. Porcelain | Francesca Woodman. “Untitled”, c. 1979-80, 11 x 14 in. Gelatin silver print | George Woodman. “Study in White: Marble from Michelangelo’s Quarry”, 2004, 16 x 20 in. Gelatin silver print | Betty Woodman. “Boys”, 2013, 28 x 28 x 7 in. Glazed earthenware | George Woodman. “Untitled”, 1974, 84 x 84 in. Acrylic on canvas | Detail from Betty Woodman. “Aeolian Pyramid”, 2001/2006, approx. 150 x 168 x 100 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, paint | George Woodman. “Tessellation Sky”, 1975, 54 1/2 x 54 1/2 in. Acrylic on canvas | Betty Woodman. “Nina’s Room”, 2012, 86 x 107 x 12 1/2 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint, canvas | Francesca Woodman. “Untitled”, c. 1977-78, 3 13/16 x 3 7/8 in. Gelatin silver print | Betty Woodman. “Judith’s Window”, 2012, 59 1/2 x 43 1/2 x 10 1/2 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, acrylic paint, canvas, wood | Francesca Woodman. “Untitled”, 1980, 8 1/2 x 8 1/2 in. Gelatin silver print | Betty Woodman. “Divided Vases: Window”, 2012, 33 1/4 x 42 x 7 1/2 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, paint | Francesca Woodman. “Untitled”, 1976, 5 1/8 x 5 1/8 in. Gelatin silver print | George Woodman. “Untitled”, c. 1980, dimensions unknown. Acrylic on canvas | Francesca Woodman. “Untitled”, c. 1979-80, 3 7/8 x 5 5/8 in. Gelatin silver print | Francesca Woodman. “Untitled,” c. 1979-80, 5 1/2 x 5 5/8 in. Gelatin silver print | George Woodman. “Christening Dress and Roman Sculpture (A Roman Fragment with a Christening Dress)”, 2011, 42 x 38 1/2 in. Oil on gelatin silver print | Betty Woodman. “White Amphoras”, 2004, 33 x 57 x 12 in. Glazed earthenware. All artworks © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
George Woodman. “285” or “Bari” or “Winterreise”, 1975, 65 x 65 in. Acrylic on canvas © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
The Woodmans and the use of white
Betty Woodman and George Woodman are often celebrated for their exuberant use of color, while Francesca Woodman is best known for her dramatic black-and-white photographs, filled with shades of grey. Working across different mediums and methods, the Woodman artists used white—and the absence of color—to fascinating effects.
Photos, L to R: Betty Woodman in her New York studio, c. 1983 | Francesca Woodman, c. 1979-80. Photo: George Woodman | George Woodman in front of his paper tile installation, 1979 Woodman Family Foundation Archives. Artwork and photo by George Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Graphic with text: "WFF Housing Stability Grant for Artists / 3-year rent subsidies for 5 visual artists in NYC"
Announcing the WFF Housing Stability Grant for NYC-based visual artists
Thrilled to announce our partnership with NYFA on the inaugural WOODMAN FAMILY FOUNDATION HOUSING STABILITY GRANT for ARTISTS (WFF HSG). In recognition of the increasing unaffordability of rental housing in New York City and the housing insecurity it creates for artists, we will award grants of $30,000—distributed over three years—to five visual artists with the goal of improving their housing stability.
L to R: Group, T to B: Betty Woodman, “Athens,” 1991, 35 1/2 x 68 5/8 x 10 1/4 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, and paint / George Woodman, “Untitled,” c. 1966-68, 39 1/2 x 39 1/2 in. Acrylic on canvas / Francesca Woodman, “After My Grandmother's Funeral,” 1977, from the “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series, 5 1/8 x 5 1/4 in. Gelatin silver print | Betty Woodman, “Athens,” 1991, 35 1/2 x 68 5/8 x 10 1/4 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, and paint | George Woodman, “Untitled,” c. 1966-68, 39 1/2 x 39 1/2 in. Acrylic on canvas | Francesca Woodman, “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series, 1977. Gelatin silver prints | Francesca Woodman, “After My Grandmother's Funeral,” 1977, from the “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series, 5 1/8 x 5 1/4 in. Gelatin silver print | Francesca Woodman, “After My Grandmother's Funeral,” 1977, from the “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series, 5 1/8 x 5 1/8 in. Gelatin silver print | Francesca Woodman, “Untitled,” 1977, from the “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series, 5 5/16 x 5 1/4 in. Gelatin silver print | Francesca Woodman, “After My Grandmother's Funeral,” 1977, from the “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series, 5 x 5 1/8 in. Gelatin silver print | Francesca Woodman, “After My Grandmother's Funeral,” 1977, from the “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series, 5 1/8 x 5 1/8 in. Gelatin silver print | Francesca Woodman, “2,” 1977, from the “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series, 5 1/4 x 5 1/4 in. Gelatin silver print All artworks © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Group, T to B: Betty Woodman, “Athens,” 1991, 35 1/2 x 68 5/8 x 10 1/4 in. Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer, and paint / George Woodman, “Untitled,” c. 1966-68, 39 1/2 x 39 1/2 in. Acrylic on canvas / Francesca Woodman, “After My Grandmother's Funeral,” 1977, from the “After My Grandmother's Funeral” series, 5 1/8 x 5 1/4 in. Gelatin silver print © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Acquisition by the Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, New Hampshire, 2024
We are very pleased to announce the acquisition of a group of important works by Betty Woodman, Francesca Woodman, and George Woodman from the Foundation’s holdings by the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, New Hampshire.
L to R: “Self-Portrait at Thirteen," c. 1972, 6 3/4 x 6 11/16 in. Gelatin silver print | 2 & 3: Francesca Woodman's Yashica Mat-124G camera | “Untitled," 1979, 3 5/16 x 3 1/2 in. Chromogenic print. All artworks by Francesca Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
Francesca Woodman, “Self-Portrait at Thirteen," c. 1972, 6 3/4 x 6 11/16 in. Gelatin silver print © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Francesca Woodman's first camera: FROM THE ARCHIVES
In 1972, Francesca Woodman received her first camera, a 6x6 twin-lens reflex Yashica Mat-124G, from her father, George Woodman.
L to R: Francesca Woodman, “Untitled," c. 1976, 4 7/8 x 5 1/8 in. Courtesy Elton John and David Furnish Collection. | Exhibition poster, “Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection” with Harley Weir, “Boys Don’t Cry, Senegal, 2015,” 2015 © Harley Weir | Francesca Woodman, “Untitled,” 1979, 5 7/8 x 5 13/16 in. | Detail from installation view of “Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection," Victoria and Albert Museum, 2024. Image courtesy and copyright Victoria and Albert Museum & James Retief | Exhibition graphic, “The ‘70s Lens: Reimagining Documentary Photography” with Anthony Barboza, “New York City,” 1970s © Anthony Barboza Photography | Francesca Woodman, “Untitled,” c. 1977-78, 5 9/16 x 5 3/8 in. | Francesca Woodman, “House #3,” c. 1975-76, from the “Abandoned House” series, 6 3/8 x 6 7/16 in. All Francesca Woodman works gelatin silver prints © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / DACS, London
Francesca Woodman, “Untitled," c. 1976, 4 7/8 x 5 1/8 in. Gelatin silver print. Courtesy Elton John and David Furnish Collection. © Woodman Family Foundation / DACS, London
NOW ON VIEW: Francesca Woodman in “Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection” and “The ‘70s Lens: Reimagining Documentary Photography,” 2024
This fall, check out two group exhibitions showcasing works by Francesca Woodman. Known for her performative approach to photography, Woodman stages the female body and intervenes in the environment to create narratives rich in metaphor.
Francesca Woodman. "Untitled," c. 1975-78, 9 1/2 x 12 1/4 in. (24.13 x 31.12 cm). Gelatin silver print © Woodman Family Foundation / VISDA, Copenhagen.
OPENING October 11: "OCEAN," Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk, Denmark, 2024
This exhibition delves into the depths where imagination meets reality, considering ways the sea has been a source of adventure and destruction throughout history.
L to R: 1: Francesca Woodman. “Untitled”, c. 1977-78. Gelatin silver print. 5 11/16 x 5 13/16 in. / 2: Francesca Woodman. “Untitled”, 1979, Chromogenic print. 3 3/8 x 3 1/2 in. / 4: Francesca Woodman. “Untitled”, 1979, Chromogenic print. 3 3/8 x 3 1/2 in. / 6: Francesca Woodman. “House #4”, 1976, from the "House" series. Gelatin silver print. 5 11/16 x 5 3/4 in. / 9: Francesca Woodman. “Untitled”, 1979. Chromogenic print. 3 5/16 x 3 1/2 in. / 3, 5, 7, 8, 10: Gordon Matta-Clark. “Bingo”, 1974. Building fragments: painted wood, metal, plaster, and glass, three sections. All photographs taken at The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 2024 / All Francesca Woodman artworks © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Francesca Woodman. “Untitled”, c. 1977-78. Gelatin silver print. 5 11/16 x 5 13/16 in. © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Rehan Miscki, The Woodman Family Foundation's Digital Imaging and Photography Manager: STAFF PICKS
Hello, this is Rehan Miskci. I recently joined The Woodman Foundation as their Digital Imaging and Photography Manager. I’m lucky to be involved with Francesca, Betty and George Woodman’s works on a daily basis and oversee any image-based needs.
L to R: Betty, Charles, and Francesca Woodman in front of the New York World's Fair Unisphere, 1964 / Charles and Francesca Woodman in front of Thailand's pavilion, 1964 / Bird's eye view of the New York World's Fair, 1964. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
Betty, Charles, and Francesca Woodman in front of the New York World's Fair Unisphere, 1964. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
The Woodmans at the 1964 New York World's Fair: FROM THE ARCHIVES...
Sixty years ago, before they had traveled much of the world together, the Woodman family visited the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.
L to R: Francesca Woodman. “Untitled,” c. 1979-80. Gelatin silver print. 7 1/8 x 9 3/16 in. / Francesca Woodman. “Untitled,” c. 1979-80. Gelatin silver print. 6 13/16 x 9 3/8 in. / George Woodman. “Psyche, Amor and Sara,” 2010. Oil on gelatin silver print. 163 x 226 in. / George Woodman. “Five Cases of Classicism,” 2011. Gelatin silver print. 23 x 35 3/4 in © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Francesca Woodman. “Untitled,” c. 1979-80. Gelatin silver print. 7 1/8 x 9 3/16 in © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Mallory O'Donoghue, The Woodman Family Foundation's Collections Researcher: STAFF PICKS
As the Woodman Family Foundation’s Collections Researcher, I spend a good amount of my working hours digging around libraries and special collections scattered throughout New York City. I believe the artists of the Woodman Family Foundation were equally as inspired by this bustling and beautiful metropolis as I am.
L to R: “Untitled,” c. 1975-78, 7 3/8 x 7 3/8 in. / “Untitled,” 1978, 35 1/4 x 33 in. / “Untitled,” 1976, 5 7/8 x 5 7/8 in. / "Self-portrait Talking to Vince," 1977, 5 3/16 x 5 1/16 in. / "Untitled," 1976, 5 1/2 x 5 5/8 in. / “Space²,” from the “Space²” series, 1976, 5 1/14 x 5 in. / "Sloan," 1976, 5 15/16 x 5 7/8 in. All gelatin silver prints. All works by Francesca Woodman © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Francesca Woodman. “Untitled,” c. 1975-78, 7 3/8 x 7 3/8 in. Gelatin silver print © Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Micaela Walker, The Woodman Family Foundation's Archivist: STAFF PICKS
Becoming the archivist at the Woodman Family Foundation sometimes feels oddly inevitable to me. I was introduced to Francesca Woodman’s images as a photography major at RISD twenty years after her time there and remember being both besotted with and intimidated by her work.
L to R: Pair: Julia Margaret Cameron. “Il Penseroso,” 1865, 252 x 202 mm. Albumen print. The Victoria and Albert Museum / Francesca Woodman. “Self-Portrait on That Same Day,” c. 1977, 5 5/16 x 5 1/4 in. Gelatin silver print. / Images 2-7: Installation views, “Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron: Portraits to Dream In,” Institut Valencià d'Art Modern, Valencia, Spain, 2024. Images courtesy Institut Valencià d'Art Modern. Photo: Miguel Lorenzo / Pair: Julia Margaret Cameron. “Marie Spartali,” 1870, 362 x 267 mm. Albumen silver print. The J. Paul Getty Museum / Francesca Woodman. “Space²," from the “Space²“ series, 5 11/16 x 5 11/16 in. Gelatin silver print. All Francesca Woodman artworks © Woodman Family Foundation / VEGAP, Madrid.
Pair: Julia Margaret Cameron. “Il Penseroso,” 1865, 252 x 202 mm. Albumen print. The Victoria and Albert Museum / Francesca Woodman. “Self-Portrait on That Same Day,” c. 1977, 5 5/16 x 5 1/4 in. (13.50 x 13.34 cm). Gelatin silver print. © Woodman Family Foundation / VEGAP, Madrid.
NOW ON VIEW: “Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron: Portraits to Dream In” in Spain
"Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron: Portraits to Dream In" is currently on view in Spain through October 20.