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Famous Photographers And Their Provocative Images

September 26, 2017

Some of the most significant names in 20th-century photography – from Diane Arbus to Edward Weston – are represented in this collection of unmounted gravures.

While Diane Arbus was famous for her provocative images of marginalized people such as dwarfs, giants, transgender people, nudists, circus performers, her image titled A Young Brooklyn Family going for a Sunday outing is disarming. The image of the stoic couple and their two young children was shot in 1966 and printed in Italy in 1979. Arbus was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century and the best-known female photographers of her generation.

Diane Arbus, ‘A young Brooklyn Family going for a Sunday outing,’ New York, 1966, heliogravure, printed in 1979, Italy, 9.75 in. x 9.75 in. Estimate: $800-$1,000. Jasper52 image

Edward Henry Weston (1886-1958) often focused on the people and places of the American West. However, over the course of his 40-year career Weston photographed an increasingly expansive set of subjects, including landscapes, nudes, portraits, genre scenes and still lifes. Tree Root is a fine example of the latter. The sheet-fed gravure in the auction was printed in the early 1970s.

Edward Weston, ‘Tree Root,’ sheet-fed gravure, early 1970s, printed in the USA,
7.25 in. x 9.25 in. Estimate: $300-$450. Jasper52 image

While German-born photographer Erwin Blumenfeld is best remembered for fashion photography published in magazines such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar throughout the 1940s and 1950s, his body of work also includes fine art photography, drawings and collages. He is considered one of the most innovative photographers of the past century, as the image titled Wall Street, New York, 1943, demonstrates.

Erwin Blumenfeld ‘Wall Street, New York, 1943,’ heliogravure, printed in 1981 in Italy, 8.75 in. x 11 in. Estimate: $250-$350. Jasper52 image

Yousuf Karsh is hailed as one of the greatest portrait photographers of the 20th century. He photographed icons of Hollywood, art, literature and politics. Included in the collection is a Karsh portrait of an elderly Helen Keller (1880-1968), who was both blind and deaf. Her teacher, Anne Sullivan, broke through the isolation imposted by a near complete lack of language, allowing the girl to blossom as she learned to communicate.

Yousuf Karsh, ‘Helen Keller,’ photogravure, printed in Switzerland 1982, 10 in. x 8 in. Estimate: $600-$700. Jasper52 image

Man Ray’s gravure of a model combines his signature elements: fashion photography and a special effect called solarization. Born Emmanuel Radnitzky is 1890, Man Ray was the only American to play a major role in both the Dada and Surrealist movements.

Man Ray, ‘Fashion Photography, Partial solarization,’ heliogravure with tissue guard, printed in 1980 in Italy, 7 in. x 9.75 in. Estimate: $400-$500. Jasper52 image

Edouard Boubat (1923-1999) was a French photojournalist and art photographer. He took his first photograph after coming back from the war in 1946 and was awarded the Kodak Prize the following year. He traveled the world for the French magazine Realites, and later worked as a freelance photographer. He is represented in the collection with a gravure titled Paris, 1949, Montmartre.

Edouard Boubat, ‘Paris, 1949, Montmartre,’ sheet-fed gravure, printed in Spain, 1983, 6.5 in. x 6.5 in. Estimate: $50-$100. Jasper52 image

Photogravure is an intaglio printmaking process used for rich photo reproduction. Take a look at the fully illustrated catalog of unmounted gravures.

A Collection of Photographers’ Favorite Subjects

July 3, 2017

Many of the foremost photographers of the 20th century and their favorite subjects are featured in this unique collection of photogravures. Bidders in this week’s auction will be mesmerized by the surrealistic images by Man Ray or a poignant portrait by Yousuf Karsh. Below are a few of the standout images from the collection.

Trolley, New Orleans, perhaps the most famous of Robert Frank’s photographs from his seminal book The Americans, is estimated at $600-$800. The image was printed in 1958, the year The Americans was published.

Robert Frank, ‘Trolley, New Orleans,’ vintage sheet-fed gravure, printed in 1958 in France, 7.5 x 5 in. Estimate: $600-$800. Jasper52 image

From the same era, but miles apart in subject matter, is a bewitching portrait of actress Audrey Hepburn by Yousuf Karsh. Time magazine called Karsh (1908-2002) one of the great photographers of the 20th century, as did the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the latter noting the “distinct style in his theatrical lighting.”

Yousuf Karsh, ‘Audrey Hepburn,’ vintage sheet-fed gravure, printed in 1959 in the Netherlands, 9 x 11.5 in. Estimate: $150-$200. Jasper52 image

Indeed, people stand out in this auction. Another fine example is a couple sunbathing on air mattresses in a lake as a pair of ducks paddle by. The tranquil image is by French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, who specialized in humanistic photography. He was one of the first prominent users of 35 mm film, which enabled him to become a master of candid photography. The print titled The Lake of Zurich (1955) is estimated at $200-$300.

Henri Cartier-Bresson, ‘The Lake of Zurich,’ sheet-fed copper plate gravure, printed by Draeger, France, 9 x 13in. Estimate: $200-$300. Jasper52 image

Margaret Bourke-White (1904-1971) was an American photographer who recorded many “firsts” on her resume: the first foreign photographer permitted to take pictures of the Soviet five-year plan, the first American female ware photojournalist, and the photographer to shoot the first Life magazine. During the mid-1930s, Bourke-White, like Dorothea Lange, photographed drought victims of the Dust Bowl. One of those images is titled Hamilton, Alabama, a portrait of a weathered woman behind a horse-drawn plow.

Margaret Bourke-White, ‘Hamilton, Alabama,’ vintage sheet-fed gravure, printed in USA, 1937, 6 x 9 in. Estimate: $150-$250. Jasper52 image

Bill Brandt was a British photographer and photojournalist. Born in Germany, Brandt moved to England, where he became known for his images of British society for such magazines as Lilliput. Offered in this auction, is The Boy, a copper plate gravure printed in 1937.

Bill Brant, ‘The Boy,’ sheet-fed copper plate gravure, printed by Neogravure, France 1937, 8 x12 in. Estimate: $250-$500. Jasper52 image

Four gravures by Man Ray (1890-1976) are in the auction including an early printing of Photogramme (1930). Born Emmanuel Radnitzky, Man Ray was a photographer, painter, and filmmaker, who was the only American to play a major role in both the Dada and surrealist movements. A photogram is a photographic image made without a camera by placing objects directly onto the surface of a light-sensitive material such as photographic paper and then exposing it to light.

Man Ray, ‘Photogramme,’ sheet-fed gravure, printed by Neogravure Co., France, 1930, 7.5 x 9.5 in. Estimate: $300-$500. Jasper52 image

View the full collection of stunning images here.

7 Man Ray Images That Dazzle

February 21, 2017

Seven works by American artist Man Ray highlight this week’s photogravure auction, which boasts some of the most revered names in photography alongside Man Ray. (Want a quick briefer on photogravure? Check this post out about the intaglio printmaking process and influential artists.)

Man Ray (born Emmanuel Radnitzky; Aug. 27, 1890 – Nov. 18, 1976) was a significant contributor to the Dada and Surrealist movements. His photogravure titled Multiple Exposure, 1934, demonstrates his ties to the latter movement.

Man Ray, ‘Multiple Exposure,’ 1934 sheet-fed gravure printed by Neogravure Co., France. Estimate: $350-$450. Jasper52 image

Ray spend most of his life in France and all but one of his photogravures in the auction were printed by the Neogravure Co., France.

Man Ray, ‘Interior With Painting,’ 1934, sheet-fed gravure printed by Neogravure Co., France. Estimate: $350-$450. Jasper52 image

One of the Man Ray gravures features solarization, a photographic technique he reinvented. Solarization is a phenomenon in photography in which the image recorded on a negative or on a photographic print is wholly or partially reversed in tone.

Man Ray, ‘Solarized Woman,’ cropped, small vintage gravure printed by editions Mana – Paris in 1937. Estimate: $240-$280. Jasper52 image

Some other Ray images in this collection feature an uncommon exterior composition. See below for two such examples where we step into the outdoors.

Man Ray, ‘Trees,’ 1934 sheet-fed gravure printed by Neogravure Co., France. Estimate: $350-$450. Jasper52 image

Man Ray, ‘Rock Formation,’ 1934 sheet-fed gravure printed by Neogravure Co., France. Estimate: $350-$450. Jasper52 image

The final two of the collection of Man Ray images show off the beauty of the human figure.

Man Ray, ‘Neck,’ 1934 sheet-fed gravure printed by Neogravure Co., France. Estimate: $350-$450. Jasper52 image

Man Ray, ‘Shadow Nude,’ 1934 sheet-fed gravure printed by Neogravure Co., France. Estimate: $350-$450. Jasper52 image

Want to see more of this fantastic collection? Click here to view and bid on more works from artists like Margaret Bourke-White and Laure Albin Guillot.

4 Names To Know When Collecting Photogravures

February 3, 2017

Early photographs are appealing for several reasons. They have artistic value, sometimes historical relevance, and often a connection to personal and societal moments captured in time. An element sometimes forgotten among the other qualities of early photographs is the scientific innovation within photographic processes. Remarkably intricate processes shaped the evolution of photography, and one of those processes is photogravure.

When asked about the simplest definition of the complex process of photogravure, Wm. B. Becker, director of The American Museum of Photography, provided this explanation:

“It’s a way of printing photographs in ink instead of using chemicals. There is no dot pattern like you’d see in a photo printed in a newspaper or magazine.”

Karl Blossfeldt (German, 1865-1932), lot of 30 black and white photogravures of flowers, 1928, 1932, 1942. Estimate: $350-$450. Featured in the Feb. 4, 2017 Fine Prints & Multiples Auction by Jasper52. (Jasper52 image)

Becker, who has curated exhibitions and published two books and dozens of articles about the history of photography, further explained that the photomechanical process results in prints that are made in ink on a printing press. The process involves transferring the photographic image onto a copper printing plate. The plate is then etched to retain ink in areas corresponding to the black sections of a picture.

The process, patented by Karl Klič in 1879, has inspired generations of photographers and produced a multitude of impressive gravures. The process Klič formalized expanded on the method of photoglyphic engraving developed by William Henry Fox Talbot.

RIGHT: Karl Blossfeldt (German, 1865-1932), Anemone Blanda, First Edition, 1829. Estimate: $100-$250.
CENTER + LEFT: One of a group lot of 30 Karl Blossfeldt, black and white photogravures of flowers, 1928, 1932, 1942. Group lot estimate: $350-$450.
Featured in the Feb. 4, 2017 Fine Prints & Multiples Auction by Jasper52. (Jasper52 images)

As with many forms of art, there are names that are commonly cited as leaders in the field. The history of photogravure is no exception, and among its most referenced pioneers and champions are:

• Alfred Stieglitz (1864-1946) is an American photographer whose contributions to the advancement and appreciation of photography are numerous. He founded the Photo-Secession Movement, which, according to information from The J. Paul Getty Museum site, is defined as an attempt “to prove that pictorialist photography was a fine art form.”

Alfred Stieglitz (American 1864-1946), The Terminal, photogravure on tissue, dated 1892 in lower right margin. Sold for $72,000 + buyer’s premium on Dec. 1, 2012 by Leland Little Auctions. (LiveAuctioneers/Leland Little Auctions image)

Stieglitz’s archive of early work seems to serve as a diary of his travels. In the 1890s his photographs included scenes taken in various European countries as well as the bustling streets of New York City, just ahead of the turn of the 20th century.

Upon his return from studying in Germany, Stieglitz’s father helped secure a job for him at the New-York Photogravure Co., Becker explained. It’s believed that this company published Stieglitz’s first portfolio. Stieglitz went on to also head the very popular periodical, Camera Work magazine.

Gertrude Kasebier (American, 1852-1934), Portrait of Miss Minnie Ashley from Camera Work 10, 1905, photogravure on laid tissue. Sold for $200 + buyer’s premium on May 20, 2011 by Skinner Inc. (LiveAuctioneers/Skinner Inc. image)

• Gertrude Kasebier (1852-1934) was among the early modernists who were members of the Photo-Secession group, said Becker. Before producing revered photographs, she was an art student at the Pratt Institute. She was also one of the first two women to be elected to the British Linked Ring (also referred to as The Brotherhood of the Linked Ring). The group’s focus, similar to that of the Photo-Secession Movement, was to present and promote photography as a form of fine art, that drew on science to continually improve and evolve.

Becker cites “The Manger” and “Blessed Art Thou Amongst Women” as some of Kasebier’s most creative photographs turned into gravures for Camera Work magazine.

• Edward Steichen (1879-1973) was a native of Luxembourg, who moved with his family to the United States when he was a child. Early on, teachers identified his artistic talents. Eventually he worked as an apprentice at the American Fine Art Company, which resulted in his exposure to photography. In short order, he was exhibiting his photography at shows. According to information at the International Photography Hall of Fame website, he participated in his first show when he was just 19, and the single juror of that show was another famed photographer and practitioners of the photogravure process, Clarence White.

Edward Steichen (American, 1879-1973), Gloria Swanson, photogravure, 1924, printed 1930. Sold for $1,200 + buyer’s premium on Oct. 15, 2016 by Stanford Auctioneers. (LiveAuctioneers/Stanford Auctioneers image)

At the age of 20, Steichen sold his first photographs to none other than Alfred Stieglitz, and a couple years later he joined Stieglitz in forming the Photo-Secession. His work appeared in Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Art et Decoration. Subjects of his portraits included Greta Garbo, Charlie Chaplin, and George Gershwin, among others.

Becker points to works including “The Flatiron,” “J P Morgan,” and “Pond – Moonlight,” as beautiful and innovative examples of Steichen’s work.

• Peter Henry Emerson (1856-1936) began life in Cuba, lived in the United States for a time during his youth, and ultimately moved to England as a teen. His dedication and promotion of the naturalistic approach to photography is at the cornerstone of his career portfolio.

As Becker points out, Emerson was among the first to use photogravure as a means of distributing his photographs. They were included in bound volumes and at least one portfolio. His book titled Naturalistic Photography for Students of the Art was published in 1889. Among the profound statements Emerson makes in this highly sought-after reference is, “Many photographers think they are photographing nature when they are only caricaturing her.”

Whether looking for examples by these oft-referenced iconic photographers, or contemporary photographers, Becker says the collector should start by knowing exactly what they are buying — and the best way to do that is to ask questions. He suggests these queries:

Where did the gravure originate?
If it was taken from a book or magazine, which one, and how many copies were printed?
Is it signed by the photographer — and if not, why not?
Was the intent of the photographer to see it removed from the context of the book and framed on someone’s wall, or was it intended to be seen in a particular order with other illustrations?
Is there any advantage to purchasing a photogravure of this image over a modern-day print that might, because of improved technology, more accurately capture the nuances of the original (darkroom-made) photograph?

View this week’s Vintage Gravures auction and find your next artwork.

Wm. B. Becker is a journalist, writer, collector and historian of photography. In addition to serving as director of the award-winning online museum The American Museum of Photography, images from his collection have been exhibited at museums in the United States and Europe, and have appeared in numerous publications. His 25-year career in media resulted in four Emmy® Awards and led to two terms as a National Trustee of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. He currently serves on the board of the Michigan Photographic Historical Society.

Online Resources: The American Museum of Photography, Museum of Modern Art, Collectors Weekly, The J. Paul Getty Museum, International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum, Art of the Photogravure

Collecting #photogravure? Here are 4 names you need to know: https://t.co/0QBUhYnbsX pic.twitter.com/3twr1efFB9

— Jasper52 (@ByJasper52) February 4, 2017

11 Stunning Portraits of Famous Writers

November 2, 2016

The writer is often hidden behind the pen. However, in this stunning curated collection of photogravure portraits, authors, poets, and playwrights reveal themselves to the camera lens. In these photogravure portraits, the printmaking process ensures high-quality reproductions, lending gravures a rich, velvety texture. Face time with black-and-white portraits of the authors and writers behind some of the characters who have shaped our culture.