Sonia's College Graduation Picture with Flowers

Inscriptions

Signed, in graphite, on reverse lower left: Sonia Sheridan; inscribed, in graphite, on reverse lower center: Lab 340; dated, in graphite, on reverse lower right: 1976

Label

When Sonia Landy Sheridan combined her 1945 college graduation photograph with begonias to create this artwork in 1976, did she create a new self-portrait? Sheridan does not merely copy and reproduce the photograph but layers it with new meaning. The stem of the flowers appears to grow from the photograph, suggesting the artist’s blossoming into a successful life and career. Petals fall below, reminding us of the impermanence of both life and flowers.

From the 2024 exhibition Beyond the Bouquet: Arranging Flowers in American Art, curated by Michael Hartman, Jonathan Little Cohen Associate Curator of American Art

Exhibition History

Beyond the Bouquet: Arranging Flowers in American Art, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, March 12, 2025 - late 2025.

Provenance

The artist, Hanover, New Hampshire; given to present collection, 2004.

Catalogue Raisonne

Sonia Landy Sheridan - Diane Kirkpatrick Hood Inventory List #438: 3M Color-In-Color I: Sonia Landy (Sheridan) college graduation picture (by Bachrach) at Hunter College, 1976 Lab 340

This record is part of an active database that includes information from historic documentation that may not have been recently reviewed. Information may be inaccurate or incomplete. We also acknowledge some language and imagery may be offensive, violent, or discriminatory. These records reflect the institution’s history or the views of artists or scholars, past and present. Our collections research is ongoing.

We welcome questions, feedback, and suggestions for improvement. Please contact us at: Hood.Collections@dartmouth.edu

Subjects