Barbara Morgan

(American, 1900–1992)

Barbara Morgan was an American photographer who captured images of professional dancers during their performances. Interested in the visual power of gesture, Morgan froze these ephemeral moments to heighten their symbolic significance. “Primarily, I am after that instant of combustion, when all the energies of the spirit are wonderfully coordinated with the action of the body,” she once said. Born on July 8, 1900 in Buffalo, KS, she moved with her family to Southern California as a child. Morgan went on study painting at the University of California, Los Angeles before moving to New York in 1930. In the city, she was exposed to the photography of Edward Weston and the dance performances of Martha Graham. These two new interests mingled to lead Morgan towards her photography project documenting at least 40 established dancers and choreographers, including Merce Cunningham. The artist also spent time traveling the Southwest, where she documented Navajo and Pueblo Indians dance rituals with watercolors, prints, and photographs. Morgan died on August 17, 1992 in Sleepy Hollow, NY. Today, her works are held in the collections of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., The Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, among others.

Barbara Morgan Artworks

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

Barbara Morgan (808 results)
Martha Graham - Letter to the World, 1940

Barbara Morgan

Martha Graham - Letter to the World, 1940

Sale Date: November 21, 2016

Auction Closed

Martha Graham - Letter to the world, 1940

Barbara Morgan

Martha Graham - Letter to the world, 1940

Sale Date: November 21, 2016

Auction Closed

Lamentation, 1935

Barbara Morgan

Lamentation, 1935

Sale Date: November 21, 2016

Auction Closed

Martha Graham, Letter to the World - Kick, 1940

Barbara Morgan

Martha Graham, Letter to the World - Kick, 1940

Sale Date: October 25, 2016

Auction Closed

Doris Humphrey, with My Red Fires;..., 1938–1944

Barbara Morgan

Doris Humphrey, with My Red Fires;..., 1938–1944

Sale Date: October 27, 2016

Auction Closed

Children Singing in the Rain, Camp Treetops, 1950

Barbara Morgan

Children Singing in the Rain, Camp Treetops, 1950

Sale Date: October 27, 2016

Auction Closed

El Penitente, 1940

Barbara Morgan

El Penitente, 1940

Sale Date: October 9, 2016

Auction Closed

Leap

Barbara Morgan

Leap

Sale Date: October 9, 2016

Auction Closed

Selected Images (3 works), 1938–1946

Barbara Morgan

Selected Images (3 works), 1938–1946

Sale Date: October 25, 2016

Auction Closed

Martha Graham--Letter to the World (Kick), 1940

Barbara Morgan

Martha Graham--Letter to the World (Kick), 1940

Sale Date: February 25, 2016

Auction Closed

Corn Stalk, 1945

Barbara Morgan

Corn Stalk, 1945

Sale Date: June 1, 2016

Auction Closed

Lynchtown (Humphrey-Weidman Group), 1938

Barbara Morgan

Lynchtown (Humphrey-Weidman Group), 1938

Sale Date: June 1, 2016

Auction Closed

CITY SOUND, 1972

Barbara Morgan

CITY SOUND, 1972

Sale Date: April 30, 2016

Auction Closed

Martha Graham--Ekstasis, 1935

Barbara Morgan

Martha Graham--Ekstasis, 1935

Sale Date: April 19, 2016

Auction Closed

Peace March; Hearst over the People; Fossil..., 1939

Barbara Morgan

Peace March; Hearst over the People; Fossil..., 1939

Sale Date: April 19, 2016

Auction Closed

Lloyd's Head, 1944, 1944

Barbara Morgan

Lloyd's Head, 1944, 1944

Sale Date: April 17, 2016

Auction Closed

Martha Graham letter to the World, 1940

Barbara Morgan

Martha Graham letter to the World, 1940

Sale Date: January 17, 2016

Auction Closed

Martha Graham - Letter to the World (from..., 1940

Barbara Morgan

Martha Graham - Letter to the World (from..., 1940

Sale Date: December 4, 2015

Auction Closed

Children Singing in the Rain, Camp Treetops, 1950

Barbara Morgan

Children Singing in the Rain, Camp Treetops, 1950

Sale Date: November 13, 2015

Auction Closed

Martha Graham - Lamentation, 1935

Barbara Morgan

Martha Graham - Lamentation, 1935

Sale Date: November 13, 2015

Auction Closed

Fossil in Formation, 1965

Barbara Morgan

Fossil in Formation, 1965

Sale Date: November 13, 2015

Auction Closed

Confrontation, 1970

Barbara Morgan

Confrontation, 1970

Sale Date: November 20, 2015

Auction Closed

City Shell, 1938

Barbara Morgan

City Shell, 1938

Sale Date: November 20, 2015

Auction Closed

Martha Graham, Lamentation, 1935

Barbara Morgan

Martha Graham, Lamentation, 1935

Sale Date: November 5, 2015

Auction Closed

English (US)

©2024 Artnet Worldwide Corporation. All rights reserved.