John Gutmann (American, 1905–1998)
Photograph, gelatin silver print
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Ellen Kelleran Gardner Picture Fund Collection Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona
© 1998 Arizona Board of Regents Photograph
© Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Edward Weston (American, 1886–1958)
Photograph, gelatin silver print
The Lane Collection.
Courtesy, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Modernist Photography 1910–1950 is an exhibition of photographic icons and discoveries now showing at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, drawn from its holdings and the local Lane Collection. The great thing about its images is that they do a perfect job of marrying the compositional play of great modernist abstraction, guaranteed to grab the eye, with subjects that deserve to be eyeballed.
Bourke-White’s image of a bread line is still as compelling as ever. It reminds us that, almost 75 years on, we are still–or once again–facing a huge gap between our bouncy American dreams and a harsh reality that often has little contact with them. The painful side of this photo: It recalls how little progress we can seem to have made, and how there’s even been backsliding in our concern for economic justice and equality. The upside: In the depths of the Great Depression, it must have seemed that the country was suffering an inexorable slide. It wasn’t.
Plus, see Blake Gopnik's Daily Pic for more on the Boston show.
Margaret Bourke White (American, 1904–1971)
Photograph, gelatin silver print
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Polaroid Foundation Purchase Fund
© Estate of Margaret Bourke White/ Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY Photograph
© Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
John Gutmann (American, 1905–1998)
Photograph, gelatin silver print
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Sophie M. Friedman Fund
Collection Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona
© 1998 Arizona Board of Regents Photograph
© Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Morris Engel (American, 1918–2005)
Photograph, gelatin silver print
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Abbott Lawrence Fund
© Morris Engel Photograph
© Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Weegee (Arthur H. Fellig) (American (born in Poland), 1899–1968)
Photograph, gelatin silver print
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Sophie M. Friedman Fund
© Weegee/International Center of Photography/Getty Images Photograph
© Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Karl Struss (American, 1886–1981)
Photograph, platinum print
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Gift of Richard Germann
© 1983 Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas Photograph
© Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Alfred Stieglitz (American, 1864–1946)
Photograph, palladium print
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Gift of Alfred Stieglitz
© Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Photograph
© Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Ansel Adams (American, 1902–1984)
Photograph, gelatin silver print
The Lane Collection.
Courtesy, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Frederick Sommer (American, 1905–1999)
Photograph, gelatin silver print
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The Lane Collection.
© Frederick and Frances Sommer Foundation Photograph
© Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Aaron Siskind (American, 1903–1991)
Photograph, gelatin silver print
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Gift of Robert Menschel Photograph
© Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Edward Weston (American, 1886–1958)
Photograph, gelatin silver print
The Lane Collection.
Courtesy, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Paul Strand (American, 1890–1976)
Photograph, platinum print
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Sophie M. Friedman Fund
© Aperture Foundation, Inc, Paul Strand Archive Photograph
© Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Alexander Archipenko (Russian, 1887–1964)
Cast by: Modern Art Foundry
American, 1921; cast circa 1960
Metal; bronze
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. John H. and Ernestine A. Payne Fund
© 2011 Estate of Alexander Archipenko / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Photograph© Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Charles Sheeler (American, 1883–1965)
Oil on canvas
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Gift of William H. and Saundra B. Lane and Henry H. and Zoe Oliver Sherman Fund
Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Charles Sheeler (American, 1883–1965)
Photograph, gelatin silver print
The Lane Collection.
Courtesy, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Karl Struss (American, 1886–1981)
Photograph, platinum print
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Gift of Richard Germann
© 1983 Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas
Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Morton Schamberg (American, 1881–1918)
Photograph, gelatin silver print
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Gift of Saundra B. Lane in honor of Karen E.
Haas Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
