R. B. Kitaj, London, 1975
1975
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
image: 47 x 31.2 cm (18 1/2 x 12 5/16 in.) sheet: 50.5 x 40.6 cm (19 7/8 x 16 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Patrons' Permanent Fund
Accession Number
2001.22.449
Art Historical Context
In 1975, acclaimed American photographer Lee Friedlander *R. B. Kitaj, London, 1975*, a striking gelatin silver print portrait of the painter Ronald Brooks Kitaj. Friedlander, renowned for his street photography that weaves complex layers of urban space, reflections, and signage into intimate human moments, ventured to London during this period. Kitaj, an influential figurative artist blending Pop Art, Expressionism, and Jewish themes, had settled in the city and was at the height of his career, making this image a fascinating intersection of two artistic giants. Printed in gelatin silver—a c...
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...