San Francisco
1996
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
image: 37.9 x 37.5 cm (14 15/16 x 14 3/4 in.) sheet: 50.6 x 40.8 cm (19 15/16 x 16 1/16 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Patrons' Permanent Fund
Accession Number
2001.22.242
Art Historical Context
**San Francisco, 1996** Lee Friedlander’s *San Francisco* is a captivating gelatin silver print, a classic black-and-white photographic medium prized for its rich tonal range and tactile depth. Captured in 1996, this square-format image (37.9 x 37.5 cm) exemplifies Friedlander’s mastery of urban street photography, where he transforms everyday cityscapes into intricate visual puzzles. Acquired through the National Gallery of Art’s Patrons’ Fund and housed in the Department of Photographs, it invites visitors to explore the layered textures of American life. Friedlander, a pivotal figure in ...
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...