The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York is currently presenting the exhibition Edward Steichen in the 1920s and 1930s: A Recent Acquisition. All of the works in the show were donated to the museum by collectors Richard and Jackie Hollander. Richard, the Chairman of Aristotle Capital Management, LLC, and his wife, Jackie, are believed to have held the largest collection of Steichen photographs in private hands.
Steichen, an American photographer, painter and curator, is known for his groundbreaking work with Alfred Stieglitz. In 1905, the duo founded the Little Galleries of the Photo-Secession, which eventually became the pioneering 291 Gallery. In 1923, Steichen was hired as the first chief of photography for Vogue and Vanity Fair, a position he held until 1937. Ultimately, Steichen transformed photography as an art form through his innovations in portrait, fashion, theater, horticultural, and advertising photography.
The photographs bequeathed to the Whitney were purchased by the Hollanders directly from the estate of the artist and were printed by Steichen himself, giving the works a rare provenance. Edward Steichen in the 1920s and 1930s will be on view through February 23, 2014.
