ROBERT FRANK – MARY’S BOOK
2025-03-17Created in 1949, Mary’s Book represents a pivotal moment in Frank’s artistic development, as he experimented with the interplay of images and text. This one-of-a-kind album features seventy-four small photographs, each paired with handwritten inscriptions, revealing Frank’s poetic sensitivity to everyday objects and spaces. Though many images lack human figures, a sense of presence lingers—seen in the way Frank captures the streets and chairs of Paris, weaving in messages for Mary that transform the book into a deeply personal meditation on solitude and connection.
A visual poem in photographic form, Mary’s Book reflects Frank’s ability to evoke emotion through juxtaposition, a technique that would later define his groundbreaking work. The exhibition presents original spreads from the album, held in the MFA’s collection, alongside additional photographs taken in Paris, on loan from the artist’s foundation. Accompanying the show is a special publication featuring the first complete reproduction of Mary’s Book, offering a rare glimpse into a formative chapter of Frank’s creative journey.
Opposite – Robert Frank, spread from Mary’s Book (detail), 1949
Exhibition runs through to June 22nd, 2025
Museum of Fine Arts Boston (MFA)
465 Huntington Avenue
Boston
MA 02115
