Edward Jean Steichen, 27 Mar 1879 - 25 Mar 1973 Search this
Medium:
Gelatin silver print
Dimensions:
Image: 24.2 x 19.2cm (9 1/2 x 7 9/16")
Sheet: 25.2 x 20.2cm (9 15/16 x 7 15/16")
Mat: 55.9 x 40.6cm (22 x 16")
Type:
Photograph
Place:
United States\New York\Kings\New York
Date:
1929
Exhibition Label:
Prior to becoming chief photographer for Condé Nast Publications in 1923, Edward Steichen had never worked with anything but natural light. When an electrician armed with floodlights, reflectors, and other exotic equipment joined him for one of his first assignments, Steichen improvised to avoid admitting that he had no experience with artificial lighting. His instincts proved excellent, and the electrician came away from the session convinced that the photogra- pher was truly an innovative professional. Steichen soon grew to regard electric lighting as an essential tool in bringing variety to his compositions. In the later years of his work for Vanity Fair, he recalled that he had “lights going all over the place,” as evidenced in this self-portrait.
Antes de convertirse en fotógrafo principal de Condé Nast Publications en 1923, Edward Steichen solo había trabajado con luz natural. Cuando en uno de sus primeros encargos apareció un electri- cista armado de focos, reflectores y otros aparatos exóticos, Steichen tuvo que improvisar para ocultar su inexperiencia con la iluminación artificial. Su instinto resultó excelente y al terminar la sesión el electricista quedó convencido de que el fotógrafo era un profesional innovador. Steichen pronto adoptó la iluminación eléctrica como herramienta esencial para dar variedad a sus composiciones. Ensus últimos años de trabajo para Vanity Fair, comentó que tenía “luces por todas partes”, como lo muestra este autorretrato.
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; acquired in memory of Agnes and Eugene Meyer through the generosity of Katharine Graham and the New York Community Trust, The Island Fund