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Francesca Woodman

Profiles of some possible modern day caryatids
Recent Acquisition

Maker

Francesca Woodman (American, 1958–1981, b. in Boulder, Colorado), (RISD BFA 1978, Photography)

Title

Profiles of some possible modern day caryatids

Year

ca. 1980

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Dimensions

Sheet: 27.6 x 97.3 cm (10 7/8 x 38 5/16 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

In image at far left: profiles of/some possible/modern day/caryatids./ c 1980/Francesca/Woodman. Verso in graphite at LL: Self Portraits (?)/Blueprint by Francesca/Woodman, given to P.S. by her parents

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of Katy Homans and Patterson Sims in honor of Betty and George Woodman

Object Number

2022.15

Type

Exhibition History

This Is a Thing
Recent Gifts to Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, 2020–2025
Aug 23, 2025 – Feb 15, 2026

Label copy

Interpretation

Francesca Woodman made this print using paper coated with liquid containing diazonium compounds, which are sensitive to ultraviolet light. She overlaid the sheet with a positive transparency of a photograph she had taken, resulting in the diazotype, or blueprint, as this process is sometimes called. 


In this work, five women’s faces are seen in profile. Woodman casted her friends as caryatids, the Greek statues of women that serve as columns for buildings. Distinct from her other photographs, Woodman’s temple blueprints feel peaceful. They may reflect the physical and metaphorical support she felt in her friendships.

Acquisition note

Active participants in the world of art, design, and curation, Katy Homans and Patterson Sims gave this work in honor of Francesca Woodman’s parents, Betty and George Woodman, both of whom were also artists. Francesca Woodman graduated from RISD in 1978 with a BFA in photography, and diazotypes represent a notable part of her practice. This was the first of her blueprints to enter the RISD Museum’s collection.

[PSS]

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Tombstone

Francesca Woodman (American, 1958–1981, b. in Boulder, Colorado)
Profiles of some possible modern day caryatids, ca. 1980
Diazotype
Sheet: 27.6 x 97.3 cm (10 7/8 x 38 5/16 inches)
Gift of Katy Homans and Patterson Sims in honor of Betty and George Woodman 2022.15

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