The Museum of Modern Art, New York
Lee Friedlander
American, born 1934
1990
A gelatin silver photograph that quietly records a moment of applause at a museum event, reflecting the photographer’s interest in the staged rituals and human choreography of public life.
What strikes you is the dense, formal crowd—tuxedos and evening gowns—caught mid-applause around an intimate exchange between two central figures, the frame feeling both sympathetic and slightly intrusive.
Lee Friedlander’s image reframes documentary photography by treating institutional social life as theater, making visible the subtle gestures and social codes that shape modern public gatherings.
Medium
Gelatin silver print
Dimensions
8 9/16 × 12 7/8" (21.8 × 32.7 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Purchase
Accession
627.2000
Palette
Exhibitions
