Self-Portrait
1964/1969
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
image/sheet: 15.9 x 24.1 cm (6 1/4 x 9 1/2 in.) mount: 27.9 x 35.6 cm (11 x 14 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Patrons' Permanent Fund
Accession Number
2001.22.132
Art Historical Context
Lee Friedlander's *Self-Portrait* (4/1969) is a captivating gelatin silver print from the National Gallery of Art's collection, acquired through the Patrons' Permanent. Captured in 1964 and printed around 1969, this intimate 15.9 x 24.1 cm image exemplifies Friedlander's innovative approach to street photography during the mid-20th century. a key figure in American documentary photography, Friedlander often turned the camera on himself amid urban chaos, using reflections, shadows, and fragmented compositions to explore identity in a modern world. The gelatin silver print medium, a hallmark of...
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...