Maria
1961
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
image: 28.6 x 19.1 cm (11 1/4 x 7 1/2 in.) sheet: 35.4 x 27.9 cm (13 15/16 x 11 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Robert B. Menschel Fund
Accession Number
2001.22.326
Art Historical Context
**Maria, 1961** Lee Friedlander's *Maria* is a captivating gelatin silver print from 1961, capturing the essence of mid-20th-century American photography. Friedlander, a pioneering figure in street photography and a key member of the "New York School," gained acclaim for his unflinching, multifaceted views of urban life. This intimate work, measuring 28.6 x 19.1 cm, exemplifies his early career explorations, blending portraiture with environmental details to reveal the textures of everyday existence. The gelatin silver print medium, a staple of black-and-white photography, allowed Friedland...
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...