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 - Frontier, 1935–1935

Barbara Morgan

Martha Graham - Frontier, 1935–1935

Sale Date: April 29, 1999

Auction Closed

Skyscraper abstraction, 1940–1949

Barbara Morgan

Skyscraper abstraction, 1940–1949

Sale Date: April 28, 1999

Auction Closed

Martha Graham - Letter to the world, 1940–1940

Barbara Morgan

Martha Graham - Letter to the world, 1940–1940

Sale Date: April 28, 1999

Auction Closed

Under the Third Avenue El, New York City, 1940–1949

Barbara Morgan

Under the Third Avenue El, New York City, 1940–1949

Sale Date: April 28, 1999

Auction Closed

Merce Cunningham - Totem ancestor, 1942–1942

Barbara Morgan

Merce Cunningham - Totem ancestor, 1942–1942

Sale Date: April 28, 1999

Auction Closed

Martha Graham, el penitente (Eric..., 1940–1940

Barbara Morgan

Martha Graham, el penitente (Eric..., 1940–1940

Sale Date: April 27, 1999

Auction Closed

Valerie Bettis in Desperate heart

Barbara Morgan

Valerie Bettis in Desperate heart

Sale Date: December 9, 1998

Auction Closed

Fossil in formation, 1965–1965

Barbara Morgan

Fossil in formation, 1965–1965

Sale Date: October 7, 1998

Auction Closed

Photomontage - City street, 1937–1937

Barbara Morgan

Photomontage - City street, 1937–1937

Sale Date: October 7, 1998

Auction Closed

Jose Limon, 1944–1944

Barbara Morgan

Jose Limon, 1944–1944

Sale Date: September 25, 1998

Auction Closed

Doris Humphrey - Square dance - Duet..., 1938–1938

Barbara Morgan

Doris Humphrey - Square dance - Duet..., 1938–1938

Sale Date: September 25, 1998

Auction Closed

Doris Humphrey - To the dance, 1944–1944

Barbara Morgan

Doris Humphrey - To the dance, 1944–1944

Sale Date: September 25, 1998

Auction Closed

Henya Holm, 1938–1938

Barbara Morgan

Henya Holm, 1938–1938

Sale Date: September 25, 1998

Auction Closed

Martha Graham - Letter to the world, 1940–1940

Barbara Morgan

Martha Graham - Letter to the world, 1940–1940

Sale Date: April 7, 1998

Auction Closed

Martha Graham - Letter to the world, 1940–1940

Barbara Morgan

Martha Graham - Letter to the world, 1940–1940

Sale Date: April 7, 1998

Auction Closed

Fossil in formation, 1965–1965

Barbara Morgan

Fossil in formation, 1965–1965

Sale Date: October 8, 1997

Auction Closed

Martha Graham - Extasis, 1935–1935

Barbara Morgan

Martha Graham - Extasis, 1935–1935

Sale Date: October 8, 1997

Auction Closed

Spring on Madison Square, 1938–1938

Barbara Morgan

Spring on Madison Square, 1938–1938

Sale Date: October 7, 1997

Auction Closed

Spring on Madison Square, 1938

Barbara Morgan

Spring on Madison Square, 1938

Sale Date: April 23, 1997

Auction Closed

Lamentation, 1935

Barbara Morgan

Lamentation, 1935

Sale Date: April 23, 1997

Auction Closed

Martha Graham, letter to the world (kick), 1940

Barbara Morgan

Martha Graham, letter to the world (kick), 1940

Sale Date: April 19, 1997

Auction Closed

Marie, 1947

Barbara Morgan

Marie, 1947

Sale Date: April 18, 1997

Auction Closed

Martha Graham - Letter to the world, 1940

Barbara Morgan

Martha Graham - Letter to the world, 1940

Sale Date: April 17, 1997

Auction Closed

Martha Graham-Ekstasis, 1935

Barbara Morgan

Martha Graham-Ekstasis, 1935

Sale Date: March 27, 1997

Auction Closed

English (US)

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