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, Primitive Mysteries, 1935, 1935

Barbara Morgan

Martha Graham, Primitive Mysteries, 1935, 1935

Sale Date: November 24, 2023

Auction Closed

Macy's Window, New York 1939, 1939

Barbara Morgan

Macy's Window, New York 1939, 1939

Sale Date: November 24, 2023

Auction Closed

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

Barbara Morgan

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

Sale Date: October 17, 2023

Auction Closed

Graham -

Barbara Morgan

Graham - "El Penitente" (Solo - Hawkins -..., 1940

Sale Date: October 17, 2023

Auction Closed

Martha Graham - Ekstasis, 1935

Barbara Morgan

Martha Graham - Ekstasis, 1935

Sale Date: October 17, 2023

Auction Closed

Beaumont Newhall, Ansel Adams, and Willard..., 1942

Barbara Morgan

Beaumont Newhall, Ansel Adams, and Willard..., 1942

Sale Date: September 13, 2023

Auction Closed

Martha Graham: Letter to the World (Kick), 1964

Barbara Morgan

Martha Graham: Letter to the World (Kick), 1964

Sale Date: August 2, 2023

Auction Closed

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

Barbara Morgan

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

Sale Date: August 2, 2023

Auction Closed

Martha Graham - El Resistente (solo Erick..., 1940

Barbara Morgan

Martha Graham - El Resistente (solo Erick..., 1940

Sale Date: June 6, 2023

Auction Closed

Cornleaf, 1947

Barbara Morgan

Cornleaf, 1947

Sale Date: June 8, 2023

Auction Closed

Samadhi, light drawing., 1940

Barbara Morgan

Samadhi, light drawing., 1940

Sale Date: April 27, 2023

Auction Closed

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

Barbara Morgan

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

Sale Date: April 4, 2023

Auction Closed

Spring on Madison Square, 1938

Barbara Morgan

Spring on Madison Square, 1938

Sale Date: February 3, 2023

Auction Closed

Martha Graham, Letter to the World, 1940

Barbara Morgan

Martha Graham, Letter to the World, 1940

Sale Date: February 3, 2023

Auction Closed

Winter Night Madison Square, 1939

Barbara Morgan

Winter Night Madison Square, 1939

Sale Date: February 3, 2023

Auction Closed

Saeta: Ice on Window, 1942

Barbara Morgan

Saeta: Ice on Window, 1942

Sale Date: February 3, 2023

Auction Closed

El Penitente, 1940

Barbara Morgan

El Penitente, 1940

Sale Date: February 3, 2023

Auction Closed

Beech Tree IV, 1945

Barbara Morgan

Beech Tree IV, 1945

Sale Date: February 3, 2023

Auction Closed

City Shell Photomontage, 1938

Barbara Morgan

City Shell Photomontage, 1938

Sale Date: February 3, 2023

Auction Closed

Selected Photomontages, 1938–1965

Barbara Morgan

Selected Photomontages, 1938–1965

Sale Date: February 1, 2023

Auction Closed

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

Barbara Morgan

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

Sale Date: February 1, 2023

Auction Closed

José Limón, Cowboy Song, 1944

Barbara Morgan

José Limón, Cowboy Song, 1944

Sale Date: December 14, 2022

Auction Closed

Charles Weidman 'On My Mother's Side, 1944

Barbara Morgan

Charles Weidman 'On My Mother's Side, 1944

Sale Date: December 14, 2022

Auction Closed

Eric Hawkins, Trailbreaker, 1940

Barbara Morgan

Eric Hawkins, Trailbreaker, 1940

Sale Date: December 14, 2022

Auction Closed

English (US)

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