The Guardian

Earlie Hudnall, Jr., The Guardian, 1990, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1994.23.4, © 1990, Earlie Hudnall, Jr.
Copied Earlie Hudnall, Jr., The Guardian, 1990, gelatin silver print, sheet: 19 7816 in. (50.440.7 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1994.23.4, © 1990, Earlie Hudnall, Jr.

Artwork Details

Title
The Guardian
Date
1990
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sheet: 19 7816 in. (50.440.7 cm.)
Copyright
© 1990, Earlie Hudnall, Jr.
Credit Line
Museum purchase
Mediums Description
gelatin silver print
Classifications
Subjects
  • Landscape
  • African American
  • Figure group — male and child
  • Dress — accessory — eye wear
  • Object — other — flag
  • Architecture Exterior
Object Number
1994.23.4

Artwork Description

Many of Hudnall’s photographs focus on children and the elderly. “A unique commonality exists between young and old,” he observes, “because there is always a continuity between the past and the future. It is this commonality which I strive to depict in my work.” In The Guardian, a father enfolds his young daughter as they stand along a street reflected in the mirrored lenses of his glasses. The American flag tucked behind his ear suggests more – that in addition to warmth and affection, he is passing on a sense of community and patriotic pride.


African American Art: Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Era, and Beyond, 2012