Diane Arbus

Identical twins, Roselle, N.J. 1967

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About this artwork

This is probably Arbus’s most iconic image and is typical of the style and subject matter of her work: the picture is sharply rendered in square format to capture the subtle differences in the two girls’ expressions, and it was taken at a party for twins and triplets in a New Jersey town. When Arbus applied for a Guggenheim grant in 1966, her proposal was entitled ‘American Rites, Manners and Customs’. This picture clearly fits with the intentions of her project in revealing the kind of rituals that exist in everyday life, and through her ability to capture the strange within the ordinary in this photograph. Arbus chose to use this picture on the announcement for the influential ‘New Documents’ show at the Museum of Modern Art in 1966.

Updated before 2020

  • artist:
    Diane Arbus (1923 - 1971) American
  • title:
    Identical twins, Roselle, N.J. 1967
  • date created:
    1967
  • materials:
    Gelatin silver print on paper
  • measurements:
    37.50 x 38.60 cm (framed: 62.00 x 62.00 x 1.90 cm)
  • object type:
  • credit line:
    ARTIST ROOMS Acquired jointly with the National Galleries of Scotland through The d'Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Art Fund, 2008
  • accession number:
    AR00506
  • gallery:
  • subject:
This artwork is part of Artist Rooms
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Diane Arbus

Diane Arbus