L to R: Francesca Woodman. “Small sketch for a piece about bridges and tiaras,” New York, January, 1980. 12 1/4 x 31 in. Vintage diazotype / Images 2-3: Details of “Small sketch for a piece about bridges and tiaras,” New York, January, 1980.
Francesca Woodman. “Small sketch for a piece about bridges and tiaras,” New York, January, 1980. 12 1/4 x 31 in. Vintage diazotype.
Francesca Woodman, "Small sketch for a piece about bridges and tiaras," January, 1980: STAFF PICKS
Over many years I’ve had the privilege of being first the curator of Francesca Woodman’s estate and now in my current role with the Woodman Family Foundation, I’ve had an equal number of “favorite” works by the artist. It’s a real challenge to choose just one! “Small sketch for a piece about bridges and tiaras” for me exemplifies the wit, keen observation, and inventiveness characteristic of Francesca Woodman’s photographs and points to her larger concerns as an artist.
L to R: Francesca Woodman, c. 1979-80 / Painting of cake by Francesca Woodman, c. late 1970s. Woodman Family Foundation Archives.
Francesca Woodman, c. 1979-80.
Happy birthday to Francesca Woodman
Happy birthday to Francesca Woodman—lover of sweets and occasional painter of cakes—who was born on this day in 1958!
L to R: Images 1-8: Stills from Francesca Woodman, "Selected Video Works," Providence, Rhode Island, 1976-78. Half-inch black-and-white open reel video with sound, transferred to DVD, 11:43 minutes / Pages from "Francesca Woodman." San Francisco: SFMOMA in association with DAP, New York, 2011.
Still from Francesca Woodman, "Selected Video Works," Providence, Rhode Island, 1976-78. Half-inch black-and-white open reel video with sound, transferred to DVD, 11:43 minutes.
Jennifer Blessing on Francesca Woodman's work in video: READING ROOM
READING ROOM highlights past essays, reviews and interviews about Betty Woodman, Francesca Woodman, and George Woodman that provided new insights and lenses through which to understand their work. In the catalogue that accompanied the exhibition Francesca Woodman, presented at SFMOMA, San Francisco in 2011 and the Guggenheim Museum, New York, in 2012, Guggenheim Senior Curator of Photography Jennifer Blessing writes about the primacy of process in Francesca Woodman’s work in video
L to R: Cover of "Francesca Woodman: The Artist's Books,” MACK, London, UK, 2023 / All artist’s books by Francesca Woodman. Covers and spreads from “Some Disordered Interior Geometries," 1980 / "Quaderno dei Dettati e dei Temi," 1978-1980 / “Quaderno," 1978 / "Untitled (Pilgrim Mills)," 1977-1978 / "Angels, Calendar, Notebook," 1977-1978 / "Portraits, Friends, Equations," 1977-1978 / "Untitled (Self-Deceit)," 1978 / "Portrait of a Reputation," 1976-1977. © Woodman Family Foundation / DACS, London.
Cover of "Francesca Woodman: The Artist's Books,” MACK, London, UK, 2023.
COMING JUNE 2023: "Francesca Woodman: The Artist's Books,” MACK, London, UK, 2023
"Francesca Woodman: The Artist’s Books" collects for the first time every page of all eight of Francesca Woodman’s unique artist’s books in one comprehensive volume, including two newly discovered books which have never before been seen alongside better-known titles such as "Some Disordered Interior Geometries."
L to R: Julia Margaret Cameron. Detail of "Sadness (Ellen Terry)," 1864. Albumen silver print. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 84.XZ.186.52 / Francesca Woodman. "Polka Dots #5," Providence, Rhode Island, 1976. Gelatin silver print.
L to R: Julia Margaret Cameron. Detail of "Sadness (Ellen Terry)," 1864. Albumen silver print. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 84.XZ.186.52 / Francesca Woodman. "Polka Dots #5," Providence, Rhode Island, 1976. Gelatin silver print.
JUST ANNOUCED: OPENING MARCH 2024 "Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron: Portraits to Dream In” at National Portrait Gallery, London, UK, March 21-June 30, 2024
Photographers Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron are two of the most influential women in the history of photography. They lived a century apart – Cameron working in the UK and Sri Lanka from the 1860s, and Woodman in America and Italy from the 1970s. Both women explored portraiture beyond its ability to record appearance – using their own creativity and imagination to suggest notions of beauty, symbolism, transformation and storytelling.
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Francesca Woodman. “Untitled,” Providence, Rhode Island, c. 1977. 5 5/16 x 5 1/4 in. Gelatin silver print.
Francesca Woodman. “Untitled,” Providence, Rhode Island, c. 1977. 5 5/16 x 5 1/4 in. Gelatin silver print.
NOW OPEN Francesca Woodman in “FEMME FATALE. Gaze—Power—Gender," Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany, December 9, 2022-April 10, 2023.
NOW OPEN Francesca Woodman in “FEMME FATALE. Gaze—Power—Gender” at Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany. On view through April 10, 2023. Curated by Dr. Markus Bertsch.
L to R: Charles Woodman, Venice, Italy, 1966 / Charles Woodman and Francesca Woodman, Venice, Italy, 1966 / Betty Woodman and Charles Woodman, Venice, Italy, 1966.
Charles Woodman, Venice, Italy, 1966.
The Woodmans in Venice, Italy, 1966: From the Archives...
As this year’s Venice Biennale, “The Milk of Dreams,” nears its end, we’re reminded that over many decades Betty and George Woodman traveled to Venice to take in the Biennale. Their trip in 1966—pictured here—when the family spent the year in Italy, was likely Charlie and Francesca’s first of many visits there, to explore both the exhibition and this captivating city.
L to R: All artworks and artist book by Francesca Woodman. Spread from "Some Disordered Interior Geometries," 1980. Found notebook with 16 gelatin silver prints, 24 pages + cover. 9 x 6 1/2 in. Included in the exhibition: First edition published by Synapse Press, 1981. "Almost a square," Providence, Rhode Island, 1977. 4 11/16 x 4 15/16 in. Gelatin silver print / “angels,” Rome, Italy, 1977-78. 3 3/4 x 3 3/4 in. Gelatin silver print.
Spread from "Some Disordered Interior Geometries," 1980. Found notebook with 16 gelatin silver prints, 24 pages + cover. 9 x 6 1/2 in.
Francesca Woodman in "Books Revisited," Center for Book Arts, New York, October 7-December 10, 2022
Each of the works in this exhibition use existing books as raw material, examining ways that narrative, history and knowledge occupy space within and beyond the material and conceptual boundaries of books. Francesca Woodman created a number of artist’s books, attaching her photographs and writings into found books, often from Italy.
Artworks L to R: George Woodman. “Beauty is Truth,” 1976. 52 x 52 in. Acrylic on canvas / Francesca Woodman. “Charlie the Model #10,” Providence, Rhode Island, 1976-77. 5 5/16 x 5 3/8 in. Vintage gelatin silver print / Betty Woodman. “Rain Forest Pillow Pitcher,” c. 1980s. 20 x 24 x 16 in. Glazed earthenware. Courtesy RISD Museum.
George Woodman. “Beauty is Truth,” 1976. 52 x 52 in. Acrylic on canvas.
RISD Museum Acquisitions
We’re thrilled that RISD Museum has acquired a group of important works by Betty, Francesca, and George Woodman from the Foundation’s holdings through a combination of museum funds and Foundation gifts. RISD occupies a singular place of importance for the Woodman family, from Francesca’s formative years there as a young artist and student to Betty’s 2005 solo exhibition at the museum and RISD Honorary Degree in 2009.
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L to R: All artworks by Francesca Woodman. “Untitled,” New York, 1979-80. 4 15/16 x 3 15/16 in / Vintage fox fur from Francesca Woodman’s archives / “Untitled,” New York, 1979-80. 7 1/2 x 4 3/4 in / “Untitled,” New York, 1979. 5 13/16 x 5 13/16 in / “Untitled (from Swan Song series),” Providence, Rhode Island, 1978. 34 1/2 x 40 1/2 in / “Untitled,” Providence, Rhode Island, 1976. 5 3/4 x 5 3/4 in / “Untitled,” Providence, Rhode Island, 1976. 5 7/8 x 5 7/8 in.
Francesca Woodman. “Untitled,” New York, 1979-80. 4 15/16 x 3 15/16 in. Gelatin silver print.
Vintage fox fur from Francesca Woodman's archives used in her work, 1976-80: From the Archives...
The Foundation’s archives include many of the dresses, shoes, scarves, gloves and other clothing that Francesca Woodman used in her photographs and in her daily life. This fox fur, probably picked up at a vintage shop or flea market like much that she wore, makes an appearance in many of her photographs.
L to R: Betty Woodman, Italy, c. 1965-66 / Betty Woodman, Charles Woodman, and Francesca Woodman, Italy, c. 1960s / Charles Woodman and friend, Italy, c. 1966 / Betty Woodman and friends, Italy, c. 1966 / Betty Woodman, Francesca Woodman, and friend, Antella, Italy, c. 1968 / Betty Woodman and friends, Antella, Italy, c. 1980 / Betty Woodman, Antella, Italy, c. 1995 / George Woodman, Antella, Italy, c. 1995 / Betty Woodman, George Woodman, and friends, Antella, Italy, c. 1995.
Betty Woodman, Italy, c. 1965-66.
Dining al fresco with the Woodman family, c. 1960s-1995: From the Archives...
The Woodman family spent many summer days and evenings dining al fresco in Italy with family and friends throughout the years. Most of these snapshots were taken by George, who often had his camera in hand and documented their family life.
L to R: Betty Woodman, Charles Woodman, and Francesca Woodman, 1959 / George Woodman and Francesca Woodman, 1964 / Francesca Woodman, 1964 / 4-5: Charles Woodman, 1962 / Betty Woodman, 1959.
Betty Woodman, Charles Woodman, and Francesca Woodman, 1959
Summer with the Woodman family, 1959-1964: STAFF PICKS
Emma Horning is a Library and Information Science graduate student at University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. As the Foundation’s Archives Intern, she has been digitizing photographic slides and prints in the collection and building a database to manage these archival materials: Summer brings us bountiful sun-drenched days. As a family, the Woodmans spent the summer months soaking in the potential the season brings.