Edward Steichen in the 1920s and 1930s: A Recent Acquisition

EDWARD STEICHEN IN THE 1920S AND 1930S: A RECENT ACQUISITION

Photo: Condé Nast
Museum Exhibits
Dec 06, 2013 to Feb 28, 2014
Official Site

This December, the Whitney Museum of American Art will mount an exhibition of works by Edward Steichen, the pioneering American photographer best known for his striking portraits from the early-twentieth century. Organized by senior curatorial assistant Carrie Springer, the exhibition includes celebrity portraits and fashion photographs taken for Vanity Fair and Vogue, images shot for advertising campaigns, and a selection of photographs that show the artist’s interest in the natural world. The approximately forty-five works that comprise Edward Steichen in the 1920s and 1930s: A Recent Acquisition will be on view from December 6 through February 2014 in the Museum’s Anne & Joel Ehrenkranz Gallery. This exhibition covers a period when Steichen was the chief photographer for Condé Nast Publications, a position he held from 1923 to 1937. Considered one of the greatest po rtrait photographers at that time, Steichen was assigned to photograph famous actors, writers, artists, statesmen, and society figures for Vogue and Vanity Fair magazines.

His portraits—including iconic images of Winston Churchill, Paul Robeson, Marlene Dietrich, Eugene O’Neill, and Gertru de Vanderbilt Whitney, among others which will be on view— depict a rich slice of cultural history. At the same time, Steichen began shooting photographs for advertising that are elegant and natural representations of objects and people. Using starkly contrasting light and shadow, he created a dramatic visual framework for his subjects. These qual ities are apparent in Steichen’s nude for Cannon Towels and in his Ad for Coty Lipstick, both of which will be on display. Also included in this exhibition are several Steichen images of flowers, gardens, and fruit that he made for his own interest, and reflect the formal qualities apparent in Steichen’s commercial work. Seen together the works in this exhibition demonstrate Steichen’s vision of photography as both an aesthetic form and a vehicle for mass communication.

Image credit: Edward Steichen ( 1879-1973). Marlene Dietrich, (1931). Gelatin silver print, Sheet: 10 x 8in. (25.4 x 20.3 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of Richard and Jackie Hollander in memory of Ellyn Hollander 2012.234 Steichen/Vanity Fair; © Condé Nast.


Author: Whitney Museum of American Art

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