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Evelyn Hofer , German, 1922-2009

Title

Mountjoy Square, Dublin, 1966

Date1977

MediumDye transfer print

Dimensions

Image: 26 x 34 cm

Sheet: 35 x 43 cm

Credit LinePurchased, 2019

Object numberNGI.2019.184

DescriptionGerman-American documentary and portrait photographer, Evelyn Hofer spent her early years studying photography, eventually landing a role working for Alexey Brodovitch of Harper's Bazaar when she moved to New York in 1946. Hofer used a four-by-five-inch view camera to make orderly and well-constructed portraits and scenic photographs. Hofer visited Dublin in 1966 to capture scenes of everyday life, which informed her book 'Dublin: A Portrait' (1967) made in collaboration with author V.S. Pritchett. In colour and black and white, her work depicts Ireland at the tipping point between an older, more conservative culture and the emerging modern world. Hofer is represented by 7 photographs of Dublin in the NGI collection.

Hofer enjoyed capturing features of Dublin when they were at their most quiet or abandoned. Here, she photographs Mountjoy Square, situated on the north side of the city, brushed with snow on a sunny morning. This square is one of five Georgian parks in Dublin.

ProvenancePurchased, Estate of Evelyn Hofer, through Galerie m, Bochum, Germany, 2019