Wife of the Painter Peter Abelen

August Sander, photographer

1876–1964

Gunther Sander, printer

Wife of the Painter Peter Abelen, 1926

Where object was made: Germany

Material/technique: gelatin silver print

Dimensions:
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 26 x 19 cm
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 10 1/4 x 7 1/2 in
Mat Dimensions (Height x Width): 20 x 16 in

Credit line: Museum purchase

Accession number: 1987.0111

Not on display

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The subject of this portrait is Helene Abelen, the wife of Cologne-based painter Peter Abelen. Helene is depicted in an androgynous manner, wearing pants and a shirt and tie. Her short hair is slicked back and her face appears aggressive as she stares defiantly into the camera with a cigarette held in her teeth. Her masculine pose and clothing demonstrate the concept of the “new woman” in German society during the Weimar Republic (1919-1933) and illustrate changing ideas about traditional gender roles in the years following World War I.