New City, New York
1963
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: 35.2 x 27.9 cm (13 7/8 x 11 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Robert B. Menschel Fund
Accession Number
2001.22.305
Art Historical Context
In 1963, Lee Friedlander captured the pulsating energy of New York City his gelatin silver print *New City, New York This 11¼ × 7½-inch image exemplifies Friedlander's street photography during a transformative era for urban America. The early 1960s marked New York's evolution into a towering metropolis of steel and glass, amid post-war economic boom and social flux, which Friedlander documented with unflinching curiosity. A master of the "New York School" of photographers, Friedlander pioneered complex, multifaceted compositions. His works often layer reflections, signs, shadows, and human f...
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...