Edward Steichen : The Early Years (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Edward Steichen (1879-1973) produced many of his strongest photographs from the 1890s to World War I, the period covered here in examples from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection. Steichen took up photography as a teenager and by the age of 23 was headed toward celebrity status as his photographs won the admiration of artists as well as fellow photographers. He was in demand as a portraitist of the rich and famous but produced some of his finest work in the portraits of other artists and in nude studies. His photographs of the Flatiron Building and other New York scenes have defined those spaces since. Steichen's misty, moody, subtle, multilayered photographs--made from experimental, painterly printing methods of the period--are reproduced here in amazing fidelity through four-color digital offset lithography. Smith (department of photographs, Metropolitan Museum of Art) provides a carefully researched and highly readable biographical and interpretive essay that illuminates the diverse influences on Steichen. Highly recommended for all photography and fine art collections.
-Kathleen Collins, Bank of America Corporate Archives, San Francisco
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

. . . meticulously researched and readable biographical account of his activities . . . demonstrate a benchmark standard of excellence in academic publishing -- The Art Newspaper

A definitive collection. . . . -- Review

Features reproductions of the finest quality. . . . This is crucial because of the variety of photographic processes [Steichen] used. . . . -- G.S. Taylor, The Boston Book Review

Meticulously researched and readable biographical account of his activities... demonstrate a benchmark standard of excellence in academic publishing. -- The Art Newspaper

This definitive edition includes all of Steichen's New York photographs. . . -- Laura Cumming, The Evening Standard

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 168 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (November 11, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691048738
• ISBN-13: 978-0691048734
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 10.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #560,729 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Steichen; Early Master, May 22, 2000

By A Customer

This is an excellent photography book. It highlights the early career of this true master of the medium. Steichen's work rivals his contemporaries Steiglitz and Strand.A must have for any serious collector of photography monographs.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book of evocative images, July 31, 2008

By	Jack J. Challem "jchallem" (Arizona, United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Too much of contemporary photography is either clichéd or uninspired, and worse, too many people with digital cameras think they're in the same class as the masters of photography. Photography is more than just snapping away. When done right, photography is art...the product of previsualization and postvisualization (to borrow a couple of terms from other photographers). This book is partly a biography of Steichen and partly an exceptionally well printed collection of his pictorialist (painterly) photographs. My advice to would-be fine-art photographers is to study the work of Steichen and other masters of photography, as well as fine art in general. They understood lighting and composition, and their works are waiting for you to absorb them. BTW, contemporary photographyer Joyce Tenneson also captures the mood and tone of Steichen's work.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fine Work by a Great Master of Photography, March 5, 2007

By	Jonathan P. Higgins (Madison, WI United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

While he may be better know for his later work, Edward Steichen was one of the greatest Pictorialists around during his early years. This book contains an excellent selection of his early work. If you like this period in photography, it's one of the best books you can buy. The work is breathtaking.