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Self-Portrait with Brush and Palette

A work made of gum bichromate print.
© 2018 The Estate of Edward Steichen/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

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  • A work made of gum bichromate print.

Date:

1902

Artist:

Edward Steichen
American, born Luxembourg, 1879–1973

About this artwork

At a time when photography was still not considered a serious art, a group of photographers known as the Photo-Secessionists tried to demonstrate the hand-crafted possibilities of photographic printing. The moody darkness and dramatic highlights of this photograph emerge from visible brushstrokes, the result of the gum bichromate process. Although Edward Steichen was both a painter and a photographer, he chose to represent himself with palette and brush, not with the seemingly more technical tool of the camera. Steichen advanced the Photo-Secessionist cause through photographs like this as well as the exhibitions and publication Camera Work that resulted from his collaboration with close friend Alfred Stieglitz.

For more on Edward Steichen’s work in the Art Institute’s collection visit the website: Edward Steichen’s World War I Years.For more on the Alfred Stieglitz collection at the Art Institute, along with in-depth object information, please visit the website: The Alfred Stieglitz Collection.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Photography and Media

Artist

Edward Steichen

Title

Self-Portrait with Brush and Palette

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1902

Medium

Gum bichromate print

Inscriptions

Signed and inscribed recto, lower left, in graphite: "Steichen / MDCCCCII"; verso unchecked

Dimensions

Image/paper: 26.7 × 20 cm (10 9/16 × 7 7/8 in.)

Credit Line

Alfred Stieglitz Collection

Reference Number

1949.823

Copyright

© 2018 The Estate of Edward Steichen/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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