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Diane Arbus — A Jewish giant at home with his parents in the Bronx, N.Y.
Diane Arbus

A Jewish giant at home with his parents in the Bronx, N.Y.

A haunting and tender black-and-white photograph capturing Eddie Carmel, a man with gigantism, standing in the modest living room of his parents' Bronx apartment, his towering frame nearly grazing the ceiling as his diminutive parents look up at him. Arbus masterfully exploits the psychological tension between the domestic familiarity of the setting and the surreal disproportion of her subject, evoking both wonder and unease. The image reflects Arbus's signature fascination with individuals who exist outside societal norms, presenting her subject with unflinching intimacy and complexity.

Medium
Gelatin silver print, from the portfolio

🔨 Auction Lot

Photographs

October 8, 2015

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About this work

Diane Arbus, A Jewish giant at home with his parents in the Bronx, N.Y.

A haunting and tender black-and-white photograph capturing Eddie Carmel, a man with gigantism, standing in the modest living room of his parents' Bronx apartment, his towering frame nearly grazing the ceiling as his diminutive parents look up at him. Arbus masterfully exploits the psychological tension between the domestic familiarity of the setting and the surreal disproportion of her subject, evoking both wonder and unease. The image reflects Arbus's signature fascination with individuals who exist outside societal norms, presenting her subject with unflinching intimacy and complexity.

Medium
Gelatin silver print, from the portfolio
Seen at
Phillips, New York, London, Hong Kong

Related themes

Marginal Subjects, Candid Realism, Domestic Interior, 20th Century, Humanist Photography, Documentary Photography, Domestic Setting, Black and White Photography, Portraiture, Gelatin Silver Print, American Photographer, Social Commentary, Portrait Photography, Social Documentary, Social Photography, Female Artist, Street Photography, Black and White

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