A woman and her dog in the Harlem section

Gordon Parks
$85.00
Size

Add Custom Frame

Frames ship to U.S. addresses only. Framed prints ship in 2–4 weeks and are final sale. Full framing details

Add Custom Frame

Frames ship to U.S. addresses only. Framed prints ship in 2–4 weeks and are final sale. Full framing details

Add Custom Frame

Frames ship to U.S. addresses only. Framed prints ship in 2–4 weeks and are final sale. Full framing details

Add Custom Frame

Frames ship to U.S. addresses only. Framed prints ship in 2–4 weeks and are final sale. Full framing details

Add Custom Frame

Frames ship to U.S. addresses only. Framed prints ship in 2–4 weeks and are final sale. Full framing details

Add Custom Frame

Frames ship to U.S. addresses only. Framed prints ship in 2–4 weeks and are final sale. Full framing details
Artist Statement

Gordon Parks’ photograph A woman and her dog in the Harlem section, our latest edition of the legendary artist’s work, is a poignant example of his unique ability to capture both the dignity and struggle of everyday life in Black America as he saw it. Taken during Parks’ extensive documentation of Harlem in the mid-20th century, the image shows a beautiful, fashionable woman composed and proud beside her small dog, leaning out of what the viewer can assume is the window of her home. The prevailing prejudices in American culture painted Harlem with a rough brush, and her posture and attire contrast this with serene elegance. This juxtaposition—between grace and hardship, outside perception and actual reality—is a recurring theme in Parks’ work, and here it serves to elevate his subject within a society that marginalized her.

Why We Love It

What makes this photograph especially powerful is Parks' use of visual storytelling. The woman’s expression is calm but alert, as if aware of both her strength and the challenges that exist in her world, both macro and micro. By the look on her face, in the moment Parks immortalized her, that may have included whoever was acting up on the street–kids? Shady gossipping neighbors? We don’t know. Her dog, a companion often associated with loyalty and protection, subtly reinforces a theme of resilience and joy. The textures of the building, the play of light and shadow, and the careful composition draw viewers into a narrative that is at once intimate and universal.

Parks, both a photojournalist and an artist, understood the camera as a tool for social change. With A woman and her dog in the Harlem section, he presents a counter-narrative that offers a vision of Black life that is rich with complexity, pride, and quiet resistance. It’s a moment of stillness that speaks volumes, making the ordinary extraordinary through empathy, artistry, and truth.

Details

+ Limited-edition, exclusive to 20x200
+ Museum quality: archival inks, 100% cotton rag paper unless noted
+ Handcrafted custom-framing is available

Our quoted dimensions are for the size of paper containing the images, not the printed image itself. We do not alter the aspect ratio, nor do we crop or resize the artists’ originals. All of our prints have a minimum border of .5 inches to allow for framing.

Medium

Moab Lasal Exhibition Lustre

8"x8" | Edition of 5
11"x11" | Edition of 200
16"x16" | Edition of 50
20"x20" | Edition of 25
30"x30" | Edition of 10
40"x40" | Edition of 5
Artist - Gordon Parks

Gordon Parks

Gordon Parks was a photographer, musician, writer, and film director. His best-known work was in documentary photojournalism, consisting of images he made in the U.S. from the 1940s to the 1970s, focusing on issues of civil rights, poverty, and the lives of African-Americans. His work as a photographer and filmmaker was barrier-breaking: he was the first African-American photographer at LIFE and Vogue, and one of the first African-Americans to produce and direct major motion pictures such as Shaft. 

Parks was born in 1912 into a poor and segregated life in Kansas. Drawn to photography after seeing images of migrant workers in a magazine, he picked up a camera from a pawnshop and taught himself to use it. Despite a lack of formal training, he was hired by the Farm Security Administration. It was there Parks developed his style, creating powerful images that explored the socioeconomic impact of racism.

After the FSA closed, Parks worked as a freelance photographer, shooting for both fashion magazines and photographing humanitarian issues. He was hired at LIFE Magazine, where he would remain for twenty years and for whom he would create a wide range of iconic images. Many of these photographs became symbols of activism, rallying support for the growing Civil Rights Movement, which Parks believed in deeply and documented often.

Over the course of his career, Parks won numerous awards, gained over fifty honorary doctorates, directed several films, and wrote a best-selling novel. He continued photographing until his death in 2006.