Self-Portrait
1967
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
image: 19.1 x 28.6 cm (7 1/2 x 11 1/4 in.) sheet: 27.9 x 35.4 cm (11 x 13 15/16 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Patrons' Permanent Fund
Accession Number
2001.22.213
Art Historical Context
Lee Friedlander's *Self-Portrait* (1967) is a quintessential example of the artist's innovative approach to photography during the vibrant street photography scene of 1960s America.ured as a gelatin silver print—a classic black-and-white process prized for its rich tonal gradations and fine detail—this intimate 19.1 x 28.6 cm image exemplifies Friedlander's signature style. Known for his "social landscape" and association with contemporaries like Garry Winogrand, Fried often embedded himself into urban clutter, using reflections in glass, mirrors, or polished surfaces to create layered, self-r...
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...