Modern Black and White Photography
MODERN STYLE
The first decades of the 20th century were a period of artistic upheaval, with modern art movements including Cubism, Surrealism, Futurism and Dadaism questioning centuries of traditional views of what art should be. Using abstraction, experimental forms and interdisciplinary techniques, painters, sculptors, photographers, printmakers and performance artists all pushed the boundaries of creative expression.
Major exhibitions, like the 1913 Armory Show in New York City — also known as the “International Exhibition of Modern Art,” in which works like the radically angular Nude Descending a Staircase by Marcel Duchamp caused a sensation — challenged the perspective of viewers and critics and heralded the arrival of modern art in the United States. But the movement’s revolutionary spirit took shape in the 19th century.
The Industrial Revolution, which ushered in new technology and cultural conditions across the world, transformed art from something mostly commissioned by the wealthy or the church to work that responded to personal experiences. The Impressionist style emerged in 1860s France with artists like Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne and Edgar Degas quickly painting works that captured moments of light and urban life. Around the same time in England, the Pre-Raphaelites, like Edward Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, borrowed from late medieval and early Renaissance art to imbue their art with symbolism and modern ideas of beauty.
Emerging from this disruption of the artistic status quo, modern art went further in rejecting conventions and embracing innovation. The bold legacy of leading modern artists Georges Braque, Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dalí, Henri Matisse, Joan Miró, Marc Chagall, Piet Mondrian and many others continues to inform visual culture today.
Find a collection of modern paintings, sculptures, prints and other fine art on 1stDibs.
to
194
2,236
1,380
424
1,029
496
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
3
21
4,833
708
2
8
60
429
152
1,947
863
432
237
161
1
13,684
5,565
1,642
711
471
462
280
71
42
17
9
7
6
3,057
1,723
760
4,213
2,193
1,835
1,524
1,434
956
626
623
572
536
384
359
358
357
345
307
306
305
284
282
1,968
1,379
1,342
1,342
893
1,323
322
303
243
219
75
1,753
2,793
2,432
Style: Modern
Colombia, Farmer, Horse, Black and White Photography, 1960s, 24, 2 x 24, 2 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
Hanna Seidel (1925 to 2005) lived and worked in Argentina for many years. She was a world traveller, journeying to South America in the 1950s and to Central America, Japan, India, an...
Category
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White, Silver Gelatin
Colombia, Rice, Harvest, Black and White Photography, 1960s, 24, 4 x 24, 2 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
Hanna Seidel (1925 to 2005) lived and worked in Argentina for many years. She was a world traveller, journeying to South America in the 1950s and to Central America, Japan, India, an...
Category
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White, Silver Gelatin
Colombia, Cows, Black and White Photography, 1960s, 24, 2 x 24, 1 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
Hanna Seidel (1925 to 2005) lived and worked in Argentina for many years. She was a world traveller, journeying to South America in the 1950s and to Central America, Japan, India, an...
Category
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White, Silver Gelatin
Cowboys on Horses, Black and White Photography, USA 1960s, 17, 7 x 23, 3 cm
By Erich Andres
Located in Cologne, DE
Silver Gelatine Print by Erich Andres, ca 1950.
Andres was born 1905 in Germany and passed away 1992. He started his career as a photographer in 1920. He was one of the first photogr...
Category
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin, Black and White
George Harrison, Guitar, Black and White Photography, ca. 1970s, 17, 2 x 22, 8 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With a line-up comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they are regarded as the mo...
Category
1970s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White, Silver Gelatin
George Harrison, Black and White Photography, 1970s, 20, 3 x 25, 9 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With a line-up comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they are regarded as the mo...
Category
1970s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White, Silver Gelatin
Ravi Shanker, George Harrison, Black and White Photography, 20, 7 x 25, 4 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With a line-up comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they are regarded as the mo...
Category
1970s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin, Black and White
Bolivia, Gate, Patosi, Black and White Photography, 1960s, 25, 9 x 24, 4 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
Hanna Seidel (1925 to 2005) lived and worked in Argentina for many years. She was a world traveller, journeying to South America in the 1950s and to Central America, Japan, India, an...
Category
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White, Silver Gelatin
Twin belfries of Munich Frauenkirche church, Munich Germany 1938, Printed Later
Located in Cologne, DE
One of the photographers at Mauritius Publishing based in Berlin was Karl Heinrich Lämmel. Born on 30 July 1910 in Riesa, Saxony, he has been missing since April 1945. In the thirtie...
Category
1930s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White
NEW Slim Aarons 'Palm Beach Easter Egg Hunt' Mid-century Modern Photography
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Children pose with baskets of toy eggs during the annual Easter egg hunt at the Flagler Museum, Palm Beach, Florida, circa 1960.
Slim Aarons
Easter Egg Hunt
1960
Fiber Print
Estate ...
Category
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Marilyn Monroe, 4 Days in New York, 1955
Located in Cologne, DE
Ed Feingersh photographed Marilyn Monroe for Redbook magazine in March 1955 for a story which would follow Monroe through her daily routine, the photography to be candid and shot wit...
Category
1950s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Volkswagen Kaefer and Double Decker in Berlin, Germany 1939 Printed Later
Located in Cologne, DE
One of the photographers at Mauritius Publishing based in Berlin was Karl Heinrich Lämmel. Born on 30 July 1910 in Riesa, Saxony, he has been missing since April 1945. In the thirtie...
Category
1930s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White
Galápagos, Seals, Black and White Photography, 1960s, 19, 7 x 27, 1 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
Hanna Seidel (1925 to 2005) lived and worked in Argentina for many years. She was a world traveller, journeying to South America in the 1950s and to Central America, Japan, India, an...
Category
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White, Silver Gelatin
Ecuador, House, Black and White Photography, 1960s, 23, 5 x 26, 7 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
Hanna Seidel (1925 to 2005) lived and worked in Argentina for many years. She was a world traveller, journeying to South America in the 1950s and to Central America, Japan, India, an...
Category
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White, Silver Gelatin
Ecuador, Vulcano, Landscape, Black and White Photography, 1960s, 23, 2 x 27, 2 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
Hanna Seidel (1925 to 2005) lived and worked in Argentina for many years. She was a world traveller, journeying to South America in the 1950s and to Central America, Japan, India, an...
Category
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White, Silver Gelatin
Ecuador, Nature, Jungle, Black and White Photography, 1960s, 23, 3 x 26, 4 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
Hanna Seidel (1925 to 2005) lived and worked in Argentina for many years. She was a world traveller, journeying to South America in the 1950s and to Central America, Japan, India, an...
Category
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White, Silver Gelatin
Ecuador, Buildings, Black and White Photography, 1960s, 23 x 23, 1 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
Hanna Seidel (1925 to 2005) lived and worked in Argentina for many years. She was a world traveller, journeying to South America in the 1950s and to Central America, Japan, India, an...
Category
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White, Silver Gelatin
Ecuador, People, Black and White Photography, 1960s, 23, 3 x 25, 1 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
Hanna Seidel (1925 to 2005) lived and worked in Argentina for many years. She was a world traveller, journeying to South America in the 1950s and to Central America, Japan, India, an...
Category
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White, Silver Gelatin
Ecuador, Landscape, Black and White Photography, 1960s, 21, 2 X 17, 2 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
Hanna Seidel (1925 to 2005) lived and worked in Argentina for many years. She was a world traveller, journeying to South America in the 1950s and to Central America, Japan, India, an...
Category
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White, Silver Gelatin
Galápagos, Seal, Black and White Photography, 1960s, 23, 2 x 29 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
Hanna Seidel (1925 to 2005) lived and worked in Argentina for many years. She was a world traveller, journeying to South America in the 1950s and to Central America, Japan, India, an...
Category
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White, Silver Gelatin
Ecuador, Woman, Indigenous, Black and White Photography, 1960s, 24, 4 x 24, 4 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
Hanna Seidel (1925 to 2005) lived and worked in Argentina for many years. She was a world traveller, journeying to South America in the 1950s and to Central America, Japan, India, an...
Category
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White, Silver Gelatin
Ecuador, Woman, Black and White Photography, 1960s, 26, 4 x 23 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
Hanna Seidel (1925 to 2005) lived and worked in Argentina for many years. She was a world traveller, journeying to South America in the 1950s and to Central America, Japan, India, an...
Category
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White, Silver Gelatin
Boats at quay on Alster view to Hamburg city hall, Germany 1938, Printed Later
Located in Cologne, DE
One of the photographers at Mauritius Publishing based in Berlin was Karl Heinrich Lämmel. Born on 30 July 1910 in Riesa, Saxony, he has been missing since April 1945. In the thirtie...
Category
1930s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White
'Luxury Dining' 1955 Slim Aarons Limited Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
'Luxury Dining' 1955 Slim Aarons Limited Estate Edition
Diners in a grand ballroom during a fashion show, circa 1955.
Silver Gelatin Fibre Print
Produced from the original negativ...
Category
1950s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Venice, Street Photography, Black and White, Italy 1950s 17, 9 x 13 cm
By Erich Andres
Located in Cologne, DE
Silver Gelatine Print by Erich Andres, ca 1950.
Andres was born 1905 in Germany and passed away 1992. He started his career as a photographer in 1920. He was one of the first photogr...
Category
1950s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Barges boats at Hamburg harbor to St. Nicolas church Germany 1938 Printed Later
Located in Cologne, DE
One of the photographers at Mauritius Publishing based in Berlin was Karl Heinrich Lämmel. Born on 30 July 1910 in Riesa, Saxony, he has been missing since April 1945. In the thirties, Karl Heinrich Lämmel produced several photographic reports of cities, including Munich and Cologne. Photographs that have yet to be seen and appreciated. Lämmel's pictures show a different view of Germany. His documentation is an unparalleled and intriguing insight into the working and everyday life of the time. Impressive images of cities and their architecture before the destruction of WWII.
The print is new, a Premium-FineArt-Print ( Hahnemühle 308g ), it comes in a secure role without passpartout and frame to reduce shipping cost. These sizes are limited to 25 copies per size.
Description: Barkassen und Boote im Hafen von Hamburg...
Category
1930s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White
To Neckargemuend Mercedes Benz car near Heidelberg, Germany 1936, Printed Later
Located in Cologne, DE
One of the photographers at Mauritius Publishing based in Berlin was Karl Heinrich Lämmel. Born on 30 July 1910 in Riesa, Saxony, he has been missing since April 1945. In the thirtie...
Category
1930s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White
Lady walking the dog at Cafe Kriech, Stuttgart Germany 1935, Printed Later
Located in Cologne, DE
One of the photographers at Mauritius Publishing based in Berlin was Karl Heinrich Lämmel. Born on 30 July 1910 in Riesa, Saxony, he has been missing since April 1945. In the thirtie...
Category
1930s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White
Ecuador, Indigenous, Woman, Black and White Photography, 1960s, 29 x 19, 4 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
Hanna Seidel (1925 to 2005) lived and worked in Argentina for many years. She was a world traveller, journeying to South America in the 1950s and to Central America, Japan, India, an...
Category
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White, Silver Gelatin
Sinead O'Connor 1990 Kevin Westenberg Signed Limited Edition
Located in London, GB
Sinead O'Connor
1990
by Kevin Westenberg
Kevin Westenberg is famed for his creation of provocative and electrifying images of world-class musicians, artists and movie stars for ...
Category
1990s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Vic, Spain, Marketplace
By Erich Andres
Located in Cologne, DE
Silver Gelatin Print by Erich Andres, 1955.
Andres was born 1905 in Germany and passed away 1992. He started his career as a photographer in 1920. He was one of the first photographe...
Category
1950s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
View to shopping passage, Stuttgart Germany 1935, Printed Later
Located in Cologne, DE
One of the photographers at Mauritius Publishing based in Berlin was Karl Heinrich Lämmel. Born on 30 July 1910 in Riesa, Saxony, he has been missing since April 1945. In the thirtie...
Category
1930s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White
Woman on bench in front of Heidelberg castle, Germany 1936, Printed Later
Located in Cologne, DE
One of the photographers at Mauritius Publishing based in Berlin was Karl Heinrich Lämmel. Born on 30 July 1910 in Riesa, Saxony, he has been missing since April 1945. In the thirties, Karl Heinrich Lämmel produced several photographic reports of cities, including Munich and Cologne. Photographs that have yet to be seen and appreciated. Lämmel's pictures show a different view of Germany. His documentation is an unparalleled and intriguing insight into the working and everyday life of the time. Impressive images of cities and their architecture before the destruction of WWII .
The print is new, a Premium-FineArt-Print ( Hahnemühle 308g ), it comes in a secure role without passpartout and frame to reduce shipping cost. This sizes are limited to 25 copies per size.
Description: Eine Frau sitzt auf einer Bank vor dem Schloss in Heidelberg, Deutschland 1930er Jahre. A woman sitting on a bench in front of Heidelberg castle...
Category
1930s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White
River Neckar, old bridge, church, Heidelberg Germany 1936, Printed Later
Located in Cologne, DE
One of the photographers at Mauritius Publishing based in Berlin was Karl Heinrich Lämmel. Born on 30 July 1910 in Riesa, Saxony, he has been missing since April 1945. In the thirtie...
Category
1930s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White
Slim Aarons Official Estate Print - Park Avenue 1953 - Oversize
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
Park Avenue
A view of neatly arranged office and apartment blocks along Park Avenue in New York City.
Slim Aarons silver gelatine fibre based print
Printed Later
Slim Aarons Esta...
Category
1950s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White, Silver Gelatin
Ships at Hamburg harbor, Germany 1937, Printed Later
Located in Cologne, DE
One of the photographers at Mauritius Publishing based in Berlin was Karl Heinrich Lämmel. Born on 30 July 1910 in Riesa, Saxony, he has been missing since April 1945. In the thirties, Karl Heinrich Lämmel produced several photographic reports of cities, including Munich and Cologne. Photographs that have yet to be seen and appreciated. Lämmel's pictures show a different view of Germany. His documentation is an unparalleled and intriguing insight into the working and everyday life of the time. Impressive images of cities and their architecture before the destruction of WWII .
The print is new, a Premium-FineArt-Print ( Hahnemühle 308g ), it comes in a secure role without passpartout and frame to reduce shipping cost. This sizes are limited to 25 copies per size.
Description: Schiffe im Hafen von Hamburg, Deutschland 1930er Jahre. Ships at Hamburg harbor...
Category
1930s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White
1920s Tina Modotti Photograph of a Painting by Manuel Rodriguez Lozano
By Tina Modotti
Located in Chicago, IL
A 1920s Tina Modotti photograph of a painting by Manuel Rodriguez Lozano. Photograph size: 7 1/4" x 8 1/4". Archivally matted to 16" x 20".
Tina Modotti was born in Udine, Italy ...
Category
1920s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Misty view to Heidelberg castle, Germany 1936, Printed Later
Located in Cologne, DE
One of the photographers at Mauritius Publishing based in Berlin was Karl Heinrich Lämmel. Born on 30 July 1910 in Riesa, Saxony, he has been missing since April 1945. In the thirties, Karl Heinrich Lämmel produced several photographic reports of cities, including Munich and Cologne. Photographs that have yet to be seen and appreciated. Lämmel's pictures show a different view of Germany. His documentation is an unparalleled and intriguing insight into the working and everyday life of the time. Impressive images of cities and their architecture before the destruction of WWII .
The print is new, a Premium-FineArt-Print ( Hahnemühle 308g ), it comes in a secure role without passpartout and frame to reduce shipping cost. This sizes are limited to 25 copies per size.
Description: Blick im Dunst auf das Schloss in Heidelberg, Deutschland 1930er Jahre. Misty view to Heidelberg castle...
Category
1930s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White
Panama, Airplane, Black and White Photography, 1960s, 17, 2 x 23, 2 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
Hanna Seidel (1925 to 2005) lived and worked in Argentina for many years. She was a world traveller, journeying to South America in the 1950s and to Central America, Japan, India, an...
Category
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White, Silver Gelatin
Fleets at Hamburg Speicherstadt, Germany 1938, Printed Later
Located in Cologne, DE
One of the photographers at Mauritius Publishing based in Berlin was Karl Heinrich Lämmel. Born on 30 July 1910 in Riesa, Saxony, he has been missing since April 1945. In the thirtie...
Category
1930s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White
Gate Darmstadt castle granny grandchild stroller, Germany 1938 Printed Later
Located in Cologne, DE
One of the photographers at Mauritius Publishing based in Berlin was Karl Heinrich Lämmel. Born on 30 July 1910 in Riesa, Saxony, he has been missing since April 1945. In the thirtie...
Category
1930s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White
Workers crossing the street, Stuttgart Germany 1935, Printed Later
Located in Cologne, DE
One of the photographers at Mauritius Publishing based in Berlin was Karl Heinrich Lämmel. Born on 30 July 1910 in Riesa, Saxony, he has been missing since April 1945. In the thirtie...
Category
1930s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White
Woman leaning on column Cannstatt, Stuttgart Germany 1935, Printed Later
Located in Cologne, DE
One of the photographers at Mauritius Publishing based in Berlin was Karl Heinrich Lämmel. Born on 30 July 1910 in Riesa, Saxony, he has been missing since April 1945. In the thirtie...
Category
1930s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White
Taking a walk at Alster to city hall Hamburg, Germany 1938, Printed Later
Located in Cologne, DE
One of the photographers at Mauritius Publishing based in Berlin was Karl Heinrich Lämmel. Born on 30 July 1910 in Riesa, Saxony, he has been missing since April 1945. In the thirtie...
Category
1930s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White
Bolivia, Door, Black and White Photography, 1960s, 23.7 x 24, 5 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
Hanna Seidel (1925 to 2005) lived and worked in Argentina for many years. She was a world traveller, journeying to South America in the 1950s and to Central America, Japan, India, an...
Category
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White, Silver Gelatin
Sunbathers on the shore of Max Eyth lake, Stuttgart Germany 1935, Printed Later
Located in Cologne, DE
One of the photographers at Mauritius Publishing based in Berlin was Karl Heinrich Lämmel. Born on 30 July 1910 in Riesa, Saxony, he has been missing since April 1945. In the thirtie...
Category
1930s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White
Bolivia, Gate, Stone Art and White Photography, 1960s, 24, 4 x 24, 1 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
Hanna Seidel (1925 to 2005) lived and worked in Argentina for many years. She was a world traveller, journeying to South America in the 1950s and to Central America, Japan, India, an...
Category
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White, Silver Gelatin
Bolivia, Potosí, Girl, Black and White Photography, 1960s, 23.4 x 17.4 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
Hanna Seidel (1925 to 2005) lived and worked in Argentina for many years. She was a world traveller, journeying to South America in the 1950s and to Central America, Japan, India, an...
Category
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White, Silver Gelatin
Woman leaning on balcony Solitude castle, Stuttgart Germany 1935, Printed Later
Located in Cologne, DE
One of the photographers at Mauritius Publishing based in Berlin was Karl Heinrich Lämmel. Born on 30 July 1910 in Riesa, Saxony, he has been missing since April 1945. In the thirtie...
Category
1930s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White
Bolivia, People, Cochabamba, Black and White Photography, 1960s, 24, 1 x 29.2 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
Hanna Seidel (* August 3, 1925; † September 9, 2005 in Cologne) was a a German amateur photographer. She focussed in her work mainly in photographs from overseas.
Between 1950s to th...
Category
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White, Silver Gelatin
NEW: Slim Aarons 'Dixieland Jam in Rome' Midcentury Modern Photography
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
An impromptu concert in Rome with American Jazz trumpeter and singer Louis Armstrong (1901 - 1971), Earl 'Fatha' Hines (1905 - 1983) on piano and Jack Teagarden (1905 - 1964) on trom...
Category
1950s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
View from city hall belfry to old city, Stuttgart Germany 1935, Printed Later
Located in Cologne, DE
One of the photographers at Mauritius Publishing based in Berlin was Karl Heinrich Lämmel. Born on 30 July 1910 in Riesa, Saxony, he has been missing since April 1945. In the thirtie...
Category
1930s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White
Undernourished children in India, 1950s - 1960s.
Located in Cologne, DE
Undernourished children in India, 1950s - 1960s.
Keywords: India; children; hunger; famine; underfed; undernourished; underfeeding; malnutrition; poverty; child; poor; Ascites
Phot...
Category
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Bolivia, Handcraft, Black and White Photography, 1960s, 17, 2 x 23, 5 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
Hanna Seidel (1925 to 2005) lived and worked in Argentina for many years. She was a world traveller, journeying to South America in the 1950s and to Central America, Japan, India, an...
Category
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White, Silver Gelatin
Boy with Mirror (Thomas Hart Benton Plate #26)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Michael Mardikes
Boy with Mirror (Thomas Hart Benton Plate #26)
Year: 1956, 2021
Pigment Ink on Archival Paper Photograph
Image Size: 19x13.5 in
Paper Size: 22x17 in
Edition: Unique
Monogrammed by hand
Label signed and numbered by Estate Representative
COA provided by Authorizing Body
Additional COA provided by representing Gallery
Ref.: 924802-909
Image included in the exhibition An Artist at Home in America: Michael Mardikes’ Photographs of Thomas Hart Benton at the Kansas City Public Library (November 20, 2021-May 15, 2022)
One night in late 2020, as Nick Vedros was leaving the home of his Aunt Myrt and Uncle Michael Mardikes, his aunt suddenly asked him, “What are we going to do with all the negatives?” The noted Kansas City photographer was not sure what his 89-year-old aunt was talking about, until she handed him a notebook filled with more than 1000 negatives chronicling Thomas Hart Benton at home and in his studio. They had been filed away for almost seven decades.
This startling discovery was the inspiration for the exhibition, “An Artist at Home in America: Michael Mardikes’ Photographs of Thomas Hart Benton” on view at the Kansas City Public Library Central Library. The exhibition is a must-see, not just for fans of Thomas Hart Benton but for devotees of exemplary photojournalism.
Of the 1,080 photographs Mardikes took, only four had been published in an article he wrote for “This Month in Kansas City” magazine in 1966. The others were never printed, nor was their existence common knowledge. Although Vedros had been aware of his uncle’s assignment with Benton, he was stunned to discover that so much additional material existed.
Vedros, who decided at age 12 to become a photographer himself after seeing his uncle’s work, was determined to organize an exhibition, and was especially interested in doing it as quickly as possible given his uncle’s advanced age and increasing frailty. Collaborating with Dan White, a photographer, master printer and friend since their time together at the University of Missouri journalism school, they selected 34 images to be printed and framed, researching the details with Steve Sitton, the director of the Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio Historic Site.
Michael Mardikes had had a brief career as a commercial photographer before going on to work in management at the Ford Motor Company and later at UMKC. He made the acquaintance of Benton through Eugene Pyle, a former student of Benton’s and Mardikes’ photography instructor at the Art Institute. In 1955, Benton asked Mardikes to photograph him; Mardikes visited Benton 35 to 40 times, over a period of a few months in late 1955 and early 1956. Sitton told Vedros that not only was Mardikes’ amount of access incredible, but that the resulting body of work was unmatched.
As the project progressed, Benton became focused on a mural commission for the River Club in 1956. Henry Adams, preeminent Benton scholar and former curator at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, provided some context for this particular work: “The commission to paint ‘Traders at Westport Landing’ came at a low point in Benton’s career, 1956, and initiated the late phase of Benton’s mural paintings. It was the first of a series of murals depicting the exploration and settlement of the west, which culminated in the Truman Library mural, which was completed in 1962. All these murals feature trading and friendly contact with the Indians, rather than conflict, and are arresting in their bright color and meticulous rendering of carefully researched detail. The River Club, which commissioned ‘Traders at Westport Landing,’ overlooks the Missouri River and has a panoramic view very similar to the one in Benton’s painting.”
This group of black and white photos not only documents the artist’s working process but also reveals other aspects of his daily life: one memorable image reveals Rita Benton massaging her husband’s stiff shoulders after a long day in his studio. Other images show members of the River Club board visiting Benton’s studio to check on the progress of the mural. One charming image captures a candid moment of Rita Benton and Myrt Mardikes as they collaborated in the Benton kitchen making chicken kapama for their husbands.
Nan Chisholm
Nan Chisholm is an art consultant and appraiser of 19th- and 20th-century paintings. After a long association with Sotheby’s, she founded her own business in 2003. She has appeared as a fine art appraiser...
Category
1950s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
Bolivia, Alpacas, Black and White Photography, 1960s, 23, 9 x 23, 6 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
Hanna Seidel (1925 to 2005) lived and worked in Argentina for many years. She was a world traveller, journeying to South America in the 1950s and to Central America, Japan, India, an...
Category
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Black and White, Silver Gelatin
Stacey Keach
By Nik Wheeler
Located in Cologne, DE
American Film Actor Stacy Keach at Home in Malibu
American actor and star of TV series Mike Hammer, Stacy Keach, at home he shares with with third wife Jil...
Category
1980s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Vintage Signed Silver Gelatin Photograph Beat Poet Peter Orlovsky Beatnik Photo
Located in Surfside, FL
Peter Orlovsky reads poem disrobed at Judson Memorial Church. Behind him is Allen Ginsberg - December 6th, 1964. (by Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village, New York City.)
Phot...
Category
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Modern black and white photography for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Modern black and white photography available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add black and white photography created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of purple, blue, orange, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Mark Shaw, Slim Aarons, Kevin Westenberg, and Terry O'Neill. Frequently made by artists working with Silver Gelatin Print, and Digital Print and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Modern black and white photography, so small editions measuring 0.63 inches across are also available. Prices for black and white photography made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $22 and tops out at $152,896, while the average work sells for $1,500.