More About the Image:
This image was made in Monument Valley in 1958. The scene may not immediately register as an Ansel Adams made during the mid-twentieth century, a time period in which he famously made more heroic landscapes. But the scene is still characteristic of his darkroom mastery, managing to acutely render the subtle variances of hues or tones of a subject that might register relatively flat to the naked eye. The Zone System that Ansel developed in the late 1930’s is put to full use here, as the scene was also likely made in open shade, further dulling the subject. The result is a richly tactile composition with ridges, edges and protrusions that jump from the paper. This image was later included in Ansel’s Portfolio 5, published in 1970. In her introduction to the collection, Nancy Newhall writes that in this body of work, Ansel ‘looks at some of his favorite subjects as if even he had never seen them before [. . .] They convey a new aspect of Ansel Adams, who has never been afraid to look afresh on some of the most be-photographed places in the world.’ (P pg. undesignated)
So wrote Ansel Adams, whose photographs of the varied and rugged landscapes of the region have imprinted upon the imaginations of millions around the world. Beyond Yosemite and the High Sierra, the Southwest was one of Ansel’s best-loved regions of the country.
