André Kertész
1920s (late) - 1930s (early)
Carousel horses, Paris

Gelatin silver print
9 1/2 x 7 ins (24.1 x 17.8 cm)
 
Swann Galleries - New York
Fine Photographers, 19 February 2015, Sale 2374, Lot 51
 
'Seeing is not enough; you have to feel what you photograph.' -- André Kertész
 
At the outset of his professional life, André Kertész was a trader in the Hungarian stock exchange and pursued his love of photography independently. In 1925, Kertész moved to Paris--then the art capital of the world--where he found work as a freelance photographer. His pictures were soon published in prominent European art, literary, and news magazines and he was recognized among prominent members of the artistic community as a successful photographer. His early vintage prints, which are uncommon, reflect the aesthetic influences of Surrealism and Modernism.
 
In the 1930s, as political unrest accelerated throughout Europe, Kertész emigrated to New York City, where neither the commercial or artistic communities embraced his vision. After a year in the States he was ready to return to Paris, but war-time conditions prevented him from leaving. His career languished, and he spent decades struggling for recognition.
 
It was not until the early 1970s, with the birth of a fine art photography marketplace, that museum curators, gallery directors, and academic historians recognized his unique lyrical vision. Today Kertész is considered one of the master photographers of the 20th century.
 
LL/57665