Edward Steichen
(AMERICAN, 1879 – 1973)
Edward Steichen is one of the most influential figures in 20th century photography, as well as the history of photography from its inception on. By his early twenties, Steichen was winning the praise of Alfred Stieglitz in New York as well as Auguste Rodin in Paris, both of whom went on to become close friends, for his brooding tonalist landscapes and brilliant psychological studies. The preferred portraitist of both the American and the European elite during his earlier career, and an acknowledged master of the Pictorialist style, Steichen denounced Pictorialism following WWI in favor of “straight” photography. He is also known for his fashion and advertising photography. Curator of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City for over fifteen years, he was responsible for many important exhibitions, including The Family of Man.
“Once you really commence to see things, then you really commence to feel things.”