This volume--the most comprehensive monograph published on Francesca Woodman to date--considers her enigmatic photography in the light of the tradition of the tableau vivant and also explores for the first time her poetic use of props (mirror, gloves, wallpaper, etc.) as well as her unusual staging of space. Featuring 80 photographs and 20 previously unpublished works from the collection Sammlung Verbund in Vienna, it is the first publication ever to reproduce all of Woodman’s photographs in their original sizes, authentically reconstructing her idiosyncratic technique of placing the image on the photographic paper. Woodman’s stark, black-and-white photographs explore an intense curiosity and ambivalence toward the feminine self, but her often playful, surreal and symbolic gestures also demonstrate her ability to incorporate elements of humor into her otherwise sober iconography. This volume unifies all of these themes in her work under the broad concept of tableau vivant, showing how Woodman radically reimagined that tradition. It also includes the first detailed and illustrated biography of her life.

Francesca Woodman (1958–1981) was born into an artistic family and began to develop her interest and skill in photography during her early teenage years. She produced a distinct and original body of work in under a decade. Woodman committed suicide in 1981 at the age of 22. In the years following her death, Woodman’s work has achieved widespread critical acclaim.