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Edward Steichen Art

American, 1879-1973

Though he began his artistic career as a painter, training at the Académie Julian in Paris, Edward Steichen is also known for his role in revolutionizing photography from a commercial tool into an artistic medium. 

Famed artist and gallerist Alfred Stieglitz often featured Steichen’s artwork in the magazine Camera Work, published from 1903 to 1917 as photography gained popularity. Over the years, Steichen served as the chief photographer for Vogue and Vanity Fair as well as the Director of Photography at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. 

Steichen’s dramatic, highly stylized compositions and curatorial eye catapulted photography into greater prestige. An art critic quipped in 1905: "One should not say that he recalls Rembrandt but rather, at this rate, that Rembrandt will, in time, remind us of Steichen."

As Steichen shifted his artistic focus to photography, he destroyed nearly all of his painted compositions. Beethoven represents one of the very few surviving paintings and is considered his most remarkable.

Simultaneously realistic and symbolic, Beethoven reflects Steichen’s unmistakable talent for composition, balance and hue. He completed the painting in 1902, immediately receiving critical praise for its commanding nature. Beethoven was hung prominently beside his photos at Steichen’s first solo show in June 1902 at La Maison des Artistes. The artwork was then proudly exhibited at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904, and later at the "National Arts Club Special Exhibition of Contemporary Art" in 1908.

Find original Edward Steichen photography and other art on 1stDibs.

(Biography provided by M.S. Rau)

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EDWARD STEICHEN A Life in Photography Hardcover Book 1984
By Edward Steichen
Located in North Hollywood, CA
EDWARD STEICHEN A Life in Photography Hardcover Book 1984 Bonanza Crown Japan. Arguably one of the most influential American photographer of the twentieth century, this book chronicl...
Category

Late 20th Century American Expressionist Edward Steichen Art

Materials

Paper

Rodin - Le Penseur, Camera Work Steichen Supplement
By Edward Steichen
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Edward Steichen. Rodin - Le Penseur, Camera Work Steichen Supplement. 1906. 6 x 7.25". vintage photogravure.
Category

Early 1900s Edward Steichen Art

Materials

Photogravure

Charlie Chaplin, portrait, 1926
By Edward Steichen
Located in New York, NY
Photo by Edward Steichen Featured in Vanity Fair, October 1, 1926 Portrait of English actor Charlie Chaplin wearing a suit. Limited Edition Archival ...
Category

Mid-19th Century Contemporary Edward Steichen Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Margaret Shea Johnson, 1934
By Edward Steichen
Located in New York, NY
Photo by Edward Steichen Featured in Vogue, September 15, 1934 Margaret Shea Johnson wearing long thin black wool dress with loose sleeves and lamé collar and cuffs Limited Edition...
Category

Mid-20th Century Contemporary Edward Steichen Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Three Pears and an Apple, France
By Edward Steichen
Located in New York, NY
Three Pears and an Apple, France, c. 1921: The Early Years 1900-1927, 1981 photogravure on BFK Rives Paper image size: 13 x 10 inches paper size: 20 x 15 1/4 inches Edition of 500
Category

1920s Edward Steichen Art

Materials

Photogravure

Improvisation: "George Washington"
By Edward Steichen
Located in Palm Desert, CA
Silver gelatin print Edition 78/100 Provenance: General Electric Corporate Collection Heather James Fine Art
Category

20th Century Contemporary Edward Steichen Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Eugene ONeill
By Edward Steichen
Located in Palm Desert, CA
Silver gelatin print Provenance: General Electric Corporate Collection Heather James Fine Art
Category

20th Century Contemporary Edward Steichen Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Fred Astaire in 'Funny Face', 1927 - Edward Steichen (Photography)
By Edward Steichen
Located in London, GB
Inscribed with photographer's credit, title and date and various annotations in pencil, stamped with Museum of Modern Art Department of Photography and Vogue ink stamps and dated on ...
Category

2010s Edward Steichen Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

John Barrymore as Hamlet
By Edward Steichen
Located in Westwood, NJ
Printed, signed late 90's by George Tice.
Category

1920s Contemporary Edward Steichen Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Katherine Cornell
By Edward Steichen
Located in Westwood, NJ
Printed, signed late 90's by George Tice.
Category

1930s Contemporary Edward Steichen Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Alfred Stieglitz
By Edward Steichen
Located in Westwood, NJ
Printed, signed late 90's by George Tice.
Category

1910s Contemporary Edward Steichen Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Martha Graham #4, NY
By Edward Steichen
Located in Westwood, NJ
These selenium toned silver gelatin prints are the photographs of Edward Steichen, printed by the renowned photographer George Tice. Tice was the last person to print for Steichen i...
Category

Early 20th Century Contemporary Edward Steichen Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Greta Garbo, Hollywood
By Edward Steichen
Located in New York, NY
In his autobiography, A Life in Photography, Steichen gave a vivid recount of this sitting: 'When Garbo came in to pose for the Vanity Fair photograph, I asked her to sit on the c...
Category

1920s Edward Steichen Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Greta Garbo, Hollywood
By Edward Steichen
Located in New York, NY
In his autobiography, A Life in Photography, Steichen gave a vivid recount of this sitting: 'When Garbo came in to pose for the Vanity Fair photograph, I asked her to sit on the c...
Category

1920s Edward Steichen Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Coty Lipstick, J. Walter Thompson Agency
By Edward Steichen
Located in Westwood, NJ
These selenium toned silver gelatin prints are the photographs of Edward Steichen, printed by the renowned photographer George Tice. Tice was the last person to print for Steichen i...
Category

Early 20th Century Contemporary Edward Steichen Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

First Cast of Brancusi's "Bird in Space"
By Edward Steichen
Located in Westwood, NJ
These selenium toned silver gelatin prints are the photographs of Edward Steichen, printed by the renowned photographer George Tice. Tice was the last person to print for Steichen i...
Category

Early 20th Century Contemporary Edward Steichen Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Stieglitz and Kitty, New York, 1904
By Edward Steichen
Located in Westwood, NJ
These selenium toned silver gelatin prints are the photographs of Edward Steichen, printed by the renowned photographer George Tice. Tice was the last person to print for Steichen i...
Category

Early 20th Century Contemporary Edward Steichen Art

Materials

Silver Gelatin

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Gustav Stickley – Craftsman Homes, Gramercy Hardcover Book 1995
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Kate #9, Vintage Black and White Photograph of Erotic Nude
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Andreas Feininger Monumental B&W Photograph, 1951
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Previously Available Items
The Flatiron, 1904
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Early 20th Century Edward Steichen Art

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Portrait of Alfred Stieglitz
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1910s Aesthetic Movement Edward Steichen Art

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Charlie Chaplin, Hat Trick #1
By Edward Steichen
Located in Westwood, NJ
These selenium toned silver gelatin prints are the photographs of Edward Steichen, printed by the renowned photographer George Tice. Tice was the last person to print for Steichen i...
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Early 20th Century Contemporary Edward Steichen Art

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Silver Gelatin

Charlie Chaplin, Hat Trick #3
By Edward Steichen
Located in Westwood, NJ
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20th Century Contemporary Edward Steichen Art

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Steel-work of the George Washington Bridge
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Edward Steichen Art

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Isadora Duncan at the Portal of the Parthenon, Athens, 1921
By Edward Steichen
Located in Westwood, NJ
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Anna May Wong, 1930
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Located in Westwood, NJ
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20th Century Contemporary Edward Steichen Art

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Charlie Chaplin, 1928
By Edward Steichen
Located in Westwood, NJ
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1920s Contemporary Edward Steichen Art

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Silver Gelatin

Torso, Paris
By Edward Steichen
Located in New York, NY
Torso, Paris, 1902 : The Early Years Portfolio, 1901–1927 photogravure Image Size: 6 1/2 x 8 3/8 inches Paper Size: 20 x 16 inches Ediiton of 500
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Early 1900s Edward Steichen Art

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Heavy Roses
By Edward Steichen
Located in New York, NY
Heavy Roses, Voulangis, France, 1914 photogravure image size: 8 x 10 inches paper size: 20 x 15 1/4 inches Edition of 500
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1910s Edward Steichen Art

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Wheelbarrow With Flower Pots
By Edward Steichen
Located in Palm Desert, CA
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Sunday Night, 40th Street
By Edward Steichen
Located in Palm Desert, CA
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Contemporary Edward Steichen Art

Edward Steichen art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Edward Steichen art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Edward Steichen in silver gelatin print, archival pigment print, intaglio and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Edward Steichen art, so small editions measuring 8 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Silvia Lareo-Vazquez, Michael O'Brien, and Cindy Sherman. Edward Steichen art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $750 and tops out at $15,000, while the average work can sell for $6,000.

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