Berenice Abbott, 1898-1991Edward Hopper, 1947
About the Item
- Creator:Berenice Abbott, 1898-1991 (1898-1991, American)
- Dimensions:Height: 23 in (58.42 cm)Width: 18 in (45.72 cm)
- Medium:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Santa Monica, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1412232572
Berenice Abbott, 1898-1991
While photographer Berenice Abbott has wrongly never been heralded as one of the defining giants of 20th-century photography, she is widely known, indeed celebrated, for her iconic portraits of some of the most glamorous denizens of 1920s bohemian Paris.
And although less familiar, Abbott’s photos of the deserted streets, aging tenements and rising office towers of Depression-era New York have been critically recognized as nothing short of groundbreaking. Additionally, her relatively obscure work as a science photographer has received an admiring reappraisal in recent years. Recognized for having dramatically advanced the medium’s aesthetics and techniques (earning four patents along the way), not to mention the ambition of her subject matter — the principle laws of physics — she has been favorably compared to two early masters of modernist experimentation: her mentor Man Ray and László Moholy Nagy.
In 1918, at just 19, freckled, androgynous and with cropped hair, Abbott fell in with a crowd that included the lesbian writer and illustrator Djuna Barnes and the Dadaists Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp. They encouraged her to follow them to Paris and study with the renowned sculptor Antoine Bourdelle. Unable to pay for her training, and barely surviving, Abbott took a job as Man Ray’s assistant. The miracles of the darkroom quickly converted her to photography, as did her paycheck, and Man Ray tutored her in its fundamentals.
By 1926, Abbott had set up her own studio with backing from Peggy Guggenheim, the American heiress and art patron. André Gide, Jean Cocteau, Janet Flanner and James Joyce were among the luminaries and socialites who came for sittings. Her subversive lens made for riveting portraits.
A number of Abbott’s images of New York appear to have been shot by drone or, in the technological equivalent for the day, a dirigible. They actually entailed her stationing herself precariously on the rooftops and ledges of the skyscrapers along Wall Street and Midtown.
That feat recalls the famous photograph of Abbott’s contemporary and fellow Ohioan Margaret Bourke-White taking a shot of the New York skyline astride one of the metallic eagle heads atop the Chrysler building. One can only wonder if a photograph of Abbott in a similarly heroic pose would have helped her recognition as the trailblazing documentarian she was.
Find Berenice Abbott photography on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Santa Monica, CA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 30 days of delivery.
- Untitled (Horses Kissing)By Pentti SammallahtiLocated in Santa Monica, CAPentti Sammallahti Untitled (Horses Kissing) 1979 Gelatin Silver printCategory
20th Century Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Nenets, an indigenous nomadic peopleBy Sebastião SalgadoLocated in Santa Monica, CASigned in pencil on versoCategory
21st Century and Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Small ApplesBy Kristoffer AlbrechtLocated in Santa Monica, CASigned, titled and dated on versoCategory
20th Century Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Johnny Cash, Las Vegas, NVBy Mark SeligerLocated in Santa Monica, CAsigned, titled and dated on verso, artists stamp in inkMaterials
Silver Gelatin
- Nenets, an indigenous nomadic peopleBy Sebastião SalgadoLocated in Santa Monica, CASigned in pencil on versoCategory
21st Century and Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Foggy Night at Land's EndBy Fred LyonLocated in Santa Monica, CAFoggy Night at Land's End 1953 Gelatin Silver print Signed, dated and titled in pencil on verso. 20 x 16 inches. Matted to 24 x 20 inches. (c) The Estate of Fred Lyon Courtesy. Peter Fetterman...Category
1950s Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Nip UpBy Fernand FonssagrivesLocated in New York, NYGelatin silver print (Edition of 50) Signed, titled, dated, and numbered in pencil, verso This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City.Category
1930s Other Art Style Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Vintage Silver Gelatin Photograph Jacques Lipchitz Bronze Sculpture Photo SignedBy Adolph StudlyLocated in Surfside, FLAdolph Studly, Swiss born American photographer. His work is kept in the Photographic Archive at The Museum of Modern Art Archives, New York. He was known for his gallery photographs of works by artists represented primarily by the Buchholz gallery, Curt Valentin, and Stephen Radich Galleries. Artists whose work he shot include Max Beckmann, Francis Bacon, Chaim Soutine, Allan Kaprow, Clyfford Still, Georges Braque, Paul Klee, Henri Matisse, Picasso, Auguste Rodin, Georges Rouault. He worked with Louis H. Dreyer, the pre-eminent architecture photographer in New York City. Chaim Jacob Lipchitz, 1891-1973, was born in Lithuania and came of age in Paris during the early 20th century, where he was active in the avante-garde community of Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani, Diego Rivera, Chaim Soutine, and Juan Gris. Art historian H. H. Arnason, who ranked Lipchitz with Picasso and Marc Chagall, wrote, "Lipchitz, as a pure sculptor, is ...unquestionably one of the greatest sculptors of this century." The architect Philip Johnson asked Lipchitz to make a wall sculpture to be placed on the brick chimney over a fireplace of a guest house owned by Mrs. John D. Rockefeller III on West 53rd Street in New York. Lipchitz decided to develop the piece from his Pegasus designs and call it Birth of the Muses in honor of the Rockefellers' interest in the arts. In 1950 he completed the work as a bronze relief five feet high. It was installed as planned and later was acquired by Lincoln Center. He participated in the Flight portfolio...Category
1940s Modern Abstract Photography
MaterialsPhotographic Paper, Silver Gelatin
- David Bowie by Terry O'Neill framed, signed silver gelatin printBy Terry O'NeillLocated in Austin, USReady to ship immediately. Free domestic US shipping. Framed 16x20" signed lifetime edition print by Terry O'Neill of David Bowie taken in Los Angeles in 1974, with Bowie wearing th...Category
Late 20th Century Photorealist Portrait Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Golden Gate Bridge - Bricks And Steel, Photograph, Silver Hal/GelatinBy Richard ScudderLocated in Yardley, PAOffered Is A Beautiful Richard Scudder Original In Black And White “Golden Gate - Bricks And Steel†Hand Printed In The Darkroom From A Large Format Film Negative Onto The Highes...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Other Art Style Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Rainforest Mushroom, Photograph, Silver Hal/GelatinBy Richard ScudderLocated in Yardley, PAOffered Is A Beautiful Richard Scudder Original In Black And White “Rainforest Mushroom†This Macro Photograph Was Created Deep In The Olympic National Forest By Richard At A Ext...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Other Art Style Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- “Birds†Aka (Miami Beach Birds), Photograph, Silver Hal/GelatinBy Richard ScudderLocated in Yardley, PAOffered Is A Thought Provoking Retro Styled Circuit 1960’s Miami Beach Modern Day Black And White Richard Scudder Original. “Birds†Is Artistically Textured Grainy Large Forma...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Other Art Style Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Photographer to Know: Berenice Abbott
One of the 20th century's most important female photographers is finally being recognized as a daring and seminal artist.
Some of the Best Beatles Photos Were Taken by Paul McCartney
A trove of recently unearthed personal photos adds another dimension to the abundance of press images of the Fab Four.