Self-Portrait
1964/1969
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
image: 17.2 x 25.9 cm (6 3/4 x 10 3/16 in.) sheet: 27.8 x 35.6 cm (10 15/16 x 14 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
2001.22.166
Art Historical Context
Lee Friedlander’s *Self-Portrait* (1964/1969), a gelatin silver print from the National Gallery Art’s collection, captures the artist’s signature wit and ingenuity during a pivotal era in American photography. Made from a 1964 negative and printed 1969, this work reflects the 1960s explosion of street photography, where artists like Friedlander roamed urban landscapes, embracing spontaneity over studio perfection. Acquired through the Patrons’ Permanent Fund, it exemplifies how museums preserve the raw energy of mid-century visual culture. Friedlander, a master of the “New Documentary” style,...
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...