Portraits

The self-taught photographer Josef Breitenbach was born in Munich in 1896. Here he set up his first photography studio in 1930.

At the dawn of World War II, Breitenbach fled Munich for Paris, where mingled with the Surrealists, showing in gallery exhibitions alongside Man Ray, Henri Cartier-Bresson and more. 

Breitenbach was interned in 1939 and escaped. His extraordinary life's journey lead him to New York City in 1942. At the invitation of Josef Albers, he taught photography at Black Mountain College. Later in life, he became a US citizen and joined the teaching faculty of Cooper Union. 

Josef Breitenbach's photographs relay an acute technical exploration of form, while psychologicaly investigating his subjects and portrating their humanity.

Our focus on portraits of writers, actors and visual artists demonstrates Breitenbach's oeuvre also as a record of the brightest and most fascinating artistic figures of the 20th century. 
 

Josef Breitenbach
Albert Basserman, Munich
Vintage gelatin silver print
23.6 x 19 cm

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Josef Breitenbach
Richard Revy, Actor, Munich
Vintage gelatin silver print
29.8 x 23.5 cm

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Josef Breitenbach
Edith D'Amara
Vintage gelatin silver print
23.8 x 17.9 cm

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Josef Breitenbach
Mr. Josef Schaffner, Decorateur, Munich
Vintage gelatin silver print
38.1 x 27.9 cm

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Josef Breitenbach
Max Ernst and his wife, Marie-Berthe Aurenche, Paris
Vintage gelatin silver print
29.4 x 24 cm

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Josef Breitenbach
Aristide Maillol, Marly-Le Roy
Vintage gelatin silver print
41.1 x 29.7 cm

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Josef Breitenbach
Aristide Maillol, Marly-Le-Roy
Vintage gelatin silver print
23.6 x 17.9 cm

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Josef Breitenbach
Bertolt Brecht, Paris
Vintage gelatin silver print
23.8 x 29.8 cm

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