Helen Levitt, New York City
1959
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
image: 32.7 x 21.6 cm (12 7/8 x 8 1/2 in.) sheet: 35.6 x 27.9 cm (14 x 11 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Patrons' Permanent Fund
Accession Number
2001.22.410
Art Historical Context
In 1959, Lee Friedlander captured *Helen Levitt, New City*, a poignant gelatin silver print portraying his contemporary, the renowned street photographer Helen Levitt amid the bustling energy of urban New York. Friedlander, key figure in the "New York School" of alongside Diane Arbus and Garryogrand, excelled in spontaneous, documentary-style images that revealed the complexities of American social landscapes. This intimate portrait, measuring 32.7 x 21.6 cm, embodies the era's fascination with city life, bridging personal connection and public vitality. The gelatin silver print medium, a hal...
About the Artist
Lee Friedlander
Lee Friedlander, born on July 14, 1934, in Aberdeen, Washington, to a Finnish-descended mother, Kaari Nurmi, and German-Jewish émigré father, Fritz Friedlander, discovered photography at age 14 amid a fascination with the medium's equipment. Tragedy marked his childhood when his mother died of cancer at age seven, yet he pursued his passion, earning pocket money with a camera before studying under...