Snapshots of the Past

[Portrait of Isak Dinesen (Baroness Karen Blixen) looking at African mask and textile on wall] – Vintage Wall Art

[Portrait of Isak Dinesen (Baroness Karen Blixen) looking at African mask and textile on wall], 1959 Jan. 29. — historic photograph
[Portrait of Isak Dinesen (Baroness Karen Blixen) looking at African mask and textile on wall], 1959 Jan. 29.. Historic photograph from the Historic Print Archive collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

[Portrait of Isak Dinesen (Baroness Karen Blixen) looking at African mask and textile on wall] comes to life in this historic photograph, reproduced from the original with every detail intact. Sourced directly from the Library of Congress, it represents an authentic piece of documented history.

The framed print arrives ready to hang; the unframed option suits custom framing. Perfect for a home, office, library or classroom wall, and a gift with a story behind it. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past has been bringing history to the wall since 2001, for tens of thousands of customers worldwide.

[Portrait of Isak Dinesen (Baroness Karen Blixen) looking at African mask and textile on wall]

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Here the sitter turns toward an African mask and a textile hung on the wall, a pairing that points straight to her years abroad. Karen Blixen, the Danish writer who published as Isak Dinesen, ran a coffee farm near Nairobi from 1914 to 1931, and her memoir *Out of Africa* (1937) grew out of that experience. Carl Van Vechten, the American writer and photographer, made the portrait on January 29, 1959, as part of his large series of sittings with notable figures of his time. The objects around her frame the portrait as much as her face does.

Created / published1959 Jan. 29.
Medium1 photographic print : gelatin silver.
GenrePortrait photographs.
NotesTitle derived from information on verso of photographic print. Van Vechten number: XIII QQ 7. Also available on microfilm. Gift; Carl Van Vechten Estate; 1966. Forms part of: Portrait photographs of celebrities, a LOT which in turn forms part of the Carl Van Vechten photograph collection (Library of Congress).
SubjectsDinesen, Isak,--1885-1962.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan1,052 × 1,536 px · prints to 4 × 5 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-166180

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