Peter Hujar: Catacombs
The artist photographed the Palermo Catacombs during a 1963 trip to Italy with the painter Paul Thek. Hujar’s first monograph, Portraits in Life and Death published in 1976, juxtaposes these images with portraits of writers and artists from his own social circle.
![Black and white photograph of a child corpse dressed in formal wear](https://fraenkelgallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/PH.1242.jpg)
Peter Hujar, Palermo Catacombs #6 (Girl with Gloves), 1963
gelatin silver print, 20 x 16 inches (sheet) [50.8 x 40.6 cm]
![Black and white photograph of a corpse with a skullcap inside a coffin](https://fraenkelgallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/huj-238-Framed.jpg)
Peter Hujar, Palermo Catacombs #3 (Man with Skullcap), 1963
gelatin silver print, 20 x 16 inches (sheet) [50.8 x 40.6 cm]
![Black-and-white photograph of preserved shrouded bodies standing above wooden boxes containing children's preserved bodies](https://fraenkelgallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/EPH_0143-3-910x900.jpg)
Peter Hujar, Palermo Catacombs #13, 1963
gelatin-silver print, 20 x 16 inches (sheet) [50.8 x 40.6 cm]
![Black-and-white photograph of a skull lying amid silk flowers in a glass case](https://fraenkelgallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/huj-078.jpg)
Peter Hujar, Palermo Catacombs #2, 1963
gelatin-silver print, 20 x 16 inches (sheet) [50.8 x 40.6 cm]
![Black-and-white photograph of preserved skeletons dressed in shrouds and gowns in two rows](https://fraenkelgallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/EPH_0148-4-909x900.jpg)
Peter Hujar, Palermo Catacombs #11, 1963
gelatin-silver print, 20 x 16 inches (sheet) [50.8 x 40.6 cm]
![Black-and-white photograph of a skeleton in a lace dress lying in a glass-fronted box](https://fraenkelgallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/EPH_0144-4-905x900.jpg)
Peter Hujar, Palermo Catacombs #5, 1963
gelatin-silver print, 20 x 16 inches (sheet) [50.8 x 40.6 cm]
![Black-and-white photograph of a preserved child's body lying in a glass-fronted wooden case with dried flowers](https://fraenkelgallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/EPH_0149-14-1146x900.jpg)
Peter Hujar, Palermo Catacombs #10, 1963
gelatin-silver print, 20 x 16 inches (sheet) [50.8 x 40.6 cm]
![Black-and-white photograph of a preserved child's body lying in a wooden compartment](https://fraenkelgallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/EPH_0147-3-895x900.jpg)
Peter Hujar, Palermo Catacombs #4, 1963
gelatin-silver print, 20 x 16 inches (sheet) [50.8 x 40.6 cm]
![Black-and-white photograph of a hooded preserved body propped up amid other skeletons in compartments](https://fraenkelgallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/EPH_0151a-3-895x900.jpg)
Peter Hujar, Palermo Catacombs #12, 1963
gelatin-silver print, 20 x 16 inches (sheet) [50.8 x 40.6 cm]
![Black and white photograph of a child corpse dressed in formal wear](https://i0.wp.com/fraenkelgallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/PH.1242.jpg?fit=675%2C681&quality=90&strip=all&ssl=1)
Peter HujarPalermo Catacombs #6 (Girl with Gloves)
1963
gelatin silver print, 20 x 16 inches (sheet) [50.8 x 40.6 cm]
![Black and white photograph of a corpse with a skullcap inside a coffin](https://i0.wp.com/fraenkelgallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/huj-238-Framed.jpg?fit=675%2C677&quality=90&strip=all&ssl=1)
Peter HujarPalermo Catacombs #3 (Man with Skullcap)
1963
gelatin silver print, 20 x 16 inches (sheet) [50.8 x 40.6 cm]
![Black-and-white photograph of preserved shrouded bodies standing above wooden boxes containing children's preserved bodies](https://i0.wp.com/fraenkelgallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/EPH_0143-3.jpg?fit=675%2C667&quality=90&strip=all&ssl=1)
Peter HujarPalermo Catacombs #13
1963
gelatin-silver print, 20 x 16 inches (sheet) [50.8 x 40.6 cm]
![Black-and-white photograph of a skull lying amid silk flowers in a glass case](https://i0.wp.com/fraenkelgallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/huj-078.jpg?fit=675%2C669&quality=90&strip=all&ssl=1)
Peter HujarPalermo Catacombs #2
1963
gelatin-silver print, 20 x 16 inches (sheet) [50.8 x 40.6 cm]
![Black-and-white photograph of preserved skeletons dressed in shrouds and gowns in two rows](https://i0.wp.com/fraenkelgallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/EPH_0148-4.jpg?fit=675%2C668&quality=90&strip=all&ssl=1)
Peter HujarPalermo Catacombs #11
1963
gelatin-silver print, 20 x 16 inches (sheet) [50.8 x 40.6 cm]
![Black-and-white photograph of a skeleton in a lace dress lying in a glass-fronted box](https://i0.wp.com/fraenkelgallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/EPH_0144-4.jpg?fit=675%2C672&quality=90&strip=all&ssl=1)
Peter HujarPalermo Catacombs #5
1963
gelatin-silver print, 20 x 16 inches (sheet) [50.8 x 40.6 cm]
![Black-and-white photograph of a preserved child's body lying in a glass-fronted wooden case with dried flowers](https://i0.wp.com/fraenkelgallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/EPH_0149-14.jpg?fit=675%2C530&quality=90&strip=all&ssl=1)
Peter HujarPalermo Catacombs #10
1963
gelatin-silver print, 20 x 16 inches (sheet) [50.8 x 40.6 cm]
![Black-and-white photograph of a preserved child's body lying in a wooden compartment](https://i0.wp.com/fraenkelgallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/EPH_0147-3.jpg?fit=675%2C679&quality=90&strip=all&ssl=1)
Peter HujarPalermo Catacombs #4
1963
gelatin-silver print, 20 x 16 inches (sheet) [50.8 x 40.6 cm]
![Black-and-white photograph of a hooded preserved body propped up amid other skeletons in compartments](https://i0.wp.com/fraenkelgallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/EPH_0151a-3.jpg?fit=675%2C679&quality=90&strip=all&ssl=1)
Peter HujarPalermo Catacombs #12
1963
gelatin-silver print, 20 x 16 inches (sheet) [50.8 x 40.6 cm]