Self-Portrait
1964/1969
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
image/sheet: 13.5 x 18.6 cm (5 5/16 x 7 5/16 in.) mount: 35.6 x 27.9 cm (14 x 11 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Trellis Fund
Accession Number
2001.22.70
Art Historical Context
Lee Friedlander’s *Self-Portrait (1964/1969) is a striking gelatin silver print, a classic black-and-white medium prized for its rich tonal range and fine detail. Captured in the vibrant era of 1960s American photography printed around 1969, this intimate work measures just 13.5 x 18.6 cm, encouraging visitors to lean in and savor its nuances. Friedlander, a pioneering street photographer, was part of the influential “New Documents” exhibition at MoMA in 1967, alongside Garry Winogrand and Diane Arbus, which redefined documentary photography by embracing personal vision over strict objectivity...
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...