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André Kertész (; 2 July 1894 – 28 September 1985), born Andor Kertész, was a Hungarian-born photographer known for his groundbreaking contributions to photographic composition and the
photo essay A photographic essay or photo-essay for short is a form of visual storytelling, a way to present a narrative through a series of images. A photo essay delivers a story using a series of photographs and brings the viewer along a narrative journey. E ...
. In the early years of his career, his then-unorthodox camera angles and style prevented his work from gaining wider recognition. Kertész never felt that he had gained the worldwide recognition he deserved. Today he is considered one of the seminal figures of
photojournalism Photojournalism is journalism that uses images to tell a news story. It usually only refers to still images, but can also refer to video used in broadcast journalism. Photojournalism is distinguished from other close branches of photography (such ...
. Expected by his family to work as a
stockbroker A stockbroker is a regulated broker, broker-dealer, or registered investment adviser (in the United States) who may provide financial advisory and investment management services and execute transactions such as the purchase or sale of stocks an ...
, Kertész pursued photography independently as an
autodidact Autodidacticism (also autodidactism) or self-education (also self-learning and self-teaching) is education without the guidance of masters (such as teachers and professors) or institutions (such as schools). Generally, autodidacts are individua ...
, and his early work was published primarily in
magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...
s, a major market in those years. This continued until much later in his life, when Kertész stopped accepting commissions. He served briefly in World War I and moved to Paris in 1925, then the artistic capital of the world, against the wishes of his family. In Paris he worked for France's first illustrated magazine called '' VU''. Involved with many young immigrant artists and the Dada movement, he achieved critical and commercial success. Due to
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
persecution of the Jews and the threat of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Kertész decided to emigrate to the United States in 1936, where he had to rebuild his reputation through commissioned work. In the 1940s and 1950s, he stopped working for magazines and began to achieve greater international success. His career is generally divided into four periods, based on where he was working and his work was most prominently known. They are called the Hungarian period, the French period, the American period and, toward the end of his life, the International period.


Biography


Early life and education

Andor Kertész was born on 2 July 1894 in
Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
to the middle-class Jewish family of Lipót Kertész, a bookseller, and his wife, Ernesztin Hoffmann. Andor, known as "Bandi" to his friends, was the middle child of three sons, including Imre and Jenő. When Lipót died in 1908 from
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...
, the widowed Ernesztin was without a source of income to support their three children. Ernesztin's brother, Lipót Hoffmann, provided for the family and acted much like a father to the boys. The family soon moved to Hoffman's country property in Szigetbecse. Kertész grew up in a leisurely pace of life and
pastoral A pastoral lifestyle is that of shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasture. It lends its name to a genre of literature, art, and music (pastorale) that depicts ...
setting that would shape his later career path. Hoffman paid for his middle nephew's business classes at the Academy of Commerce until his 1912 graduation, and arranged his hiring by the
stock exchange A stock exchange, securities exchange, or bourse is an exchange where stockbrokers and traders can buy and sell securities, such as shares of stock, bonds and other financial instruments. Stock exchanges may also provide facilities for th ...
soon after. Unlike his older brother Imre, who worked at the exchange in Budapest for all his life, Kertész had little interest in the field. He was drawn to illustrated magazines and to activities like fishing and swimming in the
Danube River The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
near his uncle's property. Kertész's first encounters with magazine photography inspired him to learn photography. He was also influenced by certain paintings by Lajos Tihanyi and Gyula Zilzer, as well as by poetry.


Hungarian period

After earning enough money, Kertész quickly bought his first camera (an ICA box camera) in 1912, despite his family's protests to continue his career in business. In his free time, he photographed the local peasants, gypsies, and landscape of the surrounding Hungarian Plains (the ''puszta''). His first photograph is believed to be ''Sleeping Boy, Budapest, 1912''. His photographs were first published in 1917 in the magazine ''Érdekes Újság'', during
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, while Kertész was serving in the
Austro-Hungarian Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
army. As early as 1914 (for example, ''Eugene, 1914''), his distinctive and mature style was already evident. In 1914, at the age of 20, he was sent to the frontline, where he took photographs of life in the trenches with a lightweight camera (a
Goerz Rudolf Goerz (sometimes spelled Rudolph) (born 1879 and died 1935) was a German botanist. He was particularly interested in spermatophytes A spermatophyte (; ), also known as phanerogam (taxon Phanerogamae) or phaenogam (taxon Phaenogamae), is ...
Tenax). Most of these photographs were destroyed during the violence of the
Hungarian Revolution of 1919 The Socialist Federative Republic of Councils in Hungary ( hu, Magyarországi Szocialista Szövetséges Tanácsköztársaság) (due to an early mistranslation, it became widely known as the Hungarian Soviet Republic in English-language sources ( ...
. Wounded in 1915 by a bullet, Kertész suffered temporary paralysis of his left arm. He was sent for convalescence to a military hospital in Budapest, but was later transferred to
Esztergom Esztergom ( ; german: Gran; la, Solva or ; sk, Ostrihom, known by alternative names) is a city with county rights in northern Hungary, northwest of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom County, on the right bank of the river Danu ...
, where he continued to take photographs. These included a
self-portrait A self-portrait is a representation of an artist that is drawn, painted, photographed, or sculpted by that artist. Although self-portraits have been made since the earliest times, it is not until the Early Renaissance in the mid-15th century tha ...
for a competition in the magazine ''Borsszem Jankó''. His most famous piece of this period was ''Underwater Swimmer, Esztergom, 1917'', the only surviving work of a series of a swimmer whose image is distorted by the water. Kertész explored the subject more thoroughly in his series of "Distortions" photographs during the early 1930s. Kertész did not heal soon enough to return to combat, and with peace in 1918, he returned to the stock exchange. There he met his future wife Erzsebet Salomon (later changed to Elizabeth Saly, also spelled Sali), who also worked at the exchange. He began to pursue her romantically. During this period of work and throughout his whole career, he used Elizabeth as a model for his photographs. Kertész also took numerous photographs of his brother Jenő. Kertész left his career at the exchange to try agricultural work and
beekeeping Beekeeping (or apiculture) is the maintenance of bee colonies, commonly in man-made beehives. Honey bees in the genus '' Apis'' are the most-commonly-kept species but other honey-producing bees such as ''Melipona'' stingless bees are also kept. ...
during the early 1920s. This venture was brief given the political turmoil that accompanied the revolution and coming of communism. After returning to the stock exchange, Kertész decided to emigrate, to study at one of France's photographic schools. His mother dissuaded him, and he did not emigrate for several years. Working during the day at the exchange, he pursued photography the rest of the time. In 1923, the Hungarian Amateur Photographer's Association selected one of his photographs for its silver award, on the condition that he print it by the
bromoil process The oil print process is a photographic printmaking process that dates to the mid-19th century. Oil prints are made on paper on which a thick gelatin layer has been sensitized to light using dichromate salts. After the paper is exposed to light ...
. Kertész disliked this, so turned down the medal. Instead, he was given a diploma from the association. On its 26 June 1925, the Hungarian news magazine ''Érdekes Újság'' used one of his photographs for its cover, giving him widespread publicity. By that time, Kertész was determined to photograph the sights in Paris and join its artistic culture.


French period

Kertész emigrated to Paris in September 1925, leaving behind his mother, his unofficial fiancée Elizabeth, both brothers, and his uncle Hoffman, who died shortly afterward. Jenő later emigrated to
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
. Elizabeth Kertész remained until her future husband was well enough established in Paris that they could marry. Kertész was among numerous Hungarian artists who emigrated during these decades, including François Kollar,
Robert Capa Robert Capa (born Endre Ernő Friedmann; October 22, 1913 – May 25, 1954) was a Hungarian-American war photographer and photojournalist as well as the companion and professional partner of photographer Gerda Taro. He is considered by some to ...
, Emeric Fehér,
Brassaï Brassaï (; pseudonym of Gyula Halász; 9 September 1899 – 8 July 1984) was a Hungarian–French photographer, sculptor, medalist, writer, and filmmaker who rose to international fame in France in the 20th century. He was one of the numerous H ...
, and
Julia Bathory Julia is usually a feminine given name. It is a Latinate feminine form of the name Julio and Julius. (For further details on etymology, see the Wiktionary entry "Julius".) The given name ''Julia'' had been in use throughout Late Antiquity (e.g. ...
.
Man Ray Man Ray (born Emmanuel Radnitzky; August 27, 1890 – November 18, 1976) was an American visual artist who spent most of his career in Paris. He was a significant contributor to the Dada and Surrealism, Surrealist movements, although his t ...
,
Germaine Krull Germaine Luise Krull (20 November 1897 – 31 July 1985) was a photographer, political activist, and hotel owner.Sichel, Kim. ''Germaine Krull: Photographer of Modernity''. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, 1999. . Her nationality has been catego ...
and
Lucien Aigner Lucien Aigner (14 September 1901 – 29 March 1999) was a Hungarian photojournalist. Life and work Aigner was born in Érsekújvár, Austria-Hungary (now called Nové Zámky in Slovakia). His first camera, a Brownie, was acquired at age nine an ...
also emigrated to Paris during this period. Initially Kertész took on commissioned work for several European magazines, gaining publication of his work in Germany, France, Italy and Great Britain. Soon after arriving in Paris, Kertész changed his first name to André, which he kept for the rest of his life. In Paris he found critical and commercial success. In 1927 Kertész was the first photographer to have a one-man exhibition; Jan Slivinsky presented 30 of his photographs at the "Sacre du Printemps Gallery". Kertész had become connected with members of the growing Dada movement. Paul Dermée dubbed him "Brother Seer" and "Brother Seeing Eye" during his first solo exhibit, alluding to a
medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...
where all the monks were blind bar one. Over the next years, Kertész was featured in both solo exhibits and group shows. In 1932 at the Julien Levy Gallery in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
, the price of Kertész's
proofs Proof most often refers to: * Proof (truth), argument or sufficient evidence for the truth of a proposition * Alcohol proof, a measure of an alcoholic drink's strength Proof may also refer to: Mathematics and formal logic * Formal proof, a co ...
was set at US$20 ($  in ), a large sum of money during the
Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
. Kertész and other Hungarian artists formed a synergistic circle; he was featured in exhibits with some of them later in his life. Visiting his sculptor friends, he was fascinated by the
Cubism Cubism is an early-20th-century avant-garde art movement that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture. In Cubist artwork, objects are analyzed, broken up and reassemble ...
movement. He created photo portraits of painters
Piet Mondrian Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan (), after 1906 known as Piet Mondrian (, also , ; 7 March 1872 – 1 February 1944), was a Dutch painter and art theoretician who is regarded as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. He is known for being ...
and
Marc Chagall Marc Chagall; russian: link=no, Марк Заха́рович Шага́л ; be, Марк Захаравіч Шагал . (born Moishe Shagal; 28 March 1985) was a Russian-French artist. An early modernism, modernist, he was associated with se ...
, the writer
Colette Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (; 28 January 1873 – 3 August 1954), known mononymously as Colette, was a French author and woman of letters. She was also a mime, actress, and journalist. Colette is best known in the English-speaking world for her ...
, and film-maker
Sergei Eisenstein Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein (russian: Сергей Михайлович Эйзенштейн, p=sʲɪrˈɡʲej mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪtɕ ɪjzʲɪnˈʂtʲejn, 2=Sergey Mikhaylovich Eyzenshteyn; 11 February 1948) was a Soviet film director, screenw ...
. In 1928, Kertész switched from using plate-glass cameras to a Leica. This period of work was one of his most productive; he was photographing daily, with work divided between magazine commissions through the late 1920s and his personal pieces. In 1930, at the ''Exposition Coloniale'' in Paris, Kertész was awarded a silver medal for services to photography. Kertész was published in French magazines such as ''Vu'' and ''Art et Médecine'', for which his work was used for numerous covers. His greatest journalistic collaboration was with
Lucien Vogel Lucien is a male given name. It is the French form of Luciano or Latin ''Lucianus'', patronymic of Lucius. Lucien, Saint Lucien, or Saint-Lucien may also refer to: People Given name * Lucien of Beauvais, Christian saint *Lucien, a band member ...
, the French editor and publisher of ''Vu''. Vogel published his work as photo essays, letting Kertész report on various subjects through images. The photographer was intrigued with the variety of topics assigned by Vogel. In 1933 Kertész was commissioned for the series, ''Distortion'', about 200 photographs of Najinskaya Verackhatz and Nadia Kasine, two models portrayed nude and in various poses, with their reflections caught in a combination of distortion mirrors, similar to a carnival's
house of mirrors A house of mirrors or hall of mirrors is a traditional attraction at funfairs (carnivals) and amusement parks. The basic concept behind a house of mirrors is to be a maze-like puzzle. In addition to the maze, participants are also given mirr ...
. In some photographs, only certain limbs or features were visible in the reflection. Some images also appeared in the 2 March issue of the "girly magazine" ''Le Sourire'' and in the 15 September 1933 issue of ''Arts et métiers graphiques''. Later that year, Kertész published the book ''Distortions'', a collection of the work. In 1933 Kertész published his first personal book of photographs, ''Enfants'', dedicated to his fiancée Elizabeth and his mother, who had died that year. He published regularly during the succeeding years. ''Paris'' (1934) was dedicated to his brothers Imre and Jenő. ''Nos Amies les bêtes'' ("Our Friends the Animals") was released in 1936 and ''Les Cathédrales du vin'' ("The Cathedrals of Wine") in 1937.


Marriage and family

In the late 1920s, Kertész secretly married the French portrait photographer Rosza Klein (she used the name
Rogi André Rogi André (born Rozsa Klein, 10 August 1900, Budapest – 11 April 1970, Paris) was a Hungarian-born French photographer and artist. She was the first wife of André Kertész. Early life Rozsa Klein was born on 10 August 1900 in Budapest, the da ...
). The marriage was short-lived and he never spoke about it. In 1930, he ventured back to Hungary to visit his family. After his return to Paris, Elizabeth followed him in 1931, despite opposition by her family. Elizabeth and André remained together for the rest of their lives. Despite his mother's dying in early 1933, Kertész married Elizabeth on 17 June 1933. He was said to have spent less time with his artist friends in favor of his new wife. In 1936 they emigrated to New York, where within a decade, they became naturalized citizens. After creating and running a successful cosmetic business for years, in 1977 Elizabeth died of cancer.


Pending war

Social and political tensions were rising in Europe with the growing strength in Germany of the
Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that crea ...
. Many magazines emphasized stories about political topics and stopped publishing Kertész because of his apolitical subjects. With his commissioned work dropping and persecution of Jews increasing, Kertész and Elizabeth decided to move to New York. He was offered work at the Keystone agency owned by Ernie Prince. In 1936, Kertész and Elizabeth boarded the SS ''Washington'' bound for
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
. The couple arrived in New York on 15 October 1936, with Kertész intent on finding fame in America. They lived at the Beaux Arts Hotel in
Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...
. Kertész found life in America more difficult than he had imagined, beginning a period which he later referred to as the "absolute tragedy". Deprived of his artist friends, he also found that Americans rejected having their photos taken on the street. Soon after his arrival, Kertész approached
Beaumont Newhall Beaumont Newhall (June 22, 1908 – February 26, 1993) was an American curator, art historian, writer, photographer, and the second director of the George Eastman Museum. His book ''The History of Photography'' remains one of the most significa ...
, director of the photographic department at the
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...
(MoMA), who was preparing a show entitled ''Photography 1839–1937''. Offering Newhall some of his ''Distortions'' photographs, Kertész bristled at his criticism, but Newhall did exhibit the photographs. In December 1937 Kertész had his first solo show in New York at the PM Gallery. The Keystone agency, who had offered him offsite work, required him to stay in the company's studio. Kertész tried to return to France to visit, but had no money. By the time he had saved enough, World War II had begun and travel to France was nearly impossible. His struggles with English compounded his problems. Years after learning to speak French in Paris, it was difficult for him to learn another new language. The lack of fluent language added to his feeling like an outsider. Frustrated, Kertész left Keystone after Prince left the company in 1937. He was commissioned by ''
Harper's Bazaar ''Harper's Bazaar'' is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. It was first published in New York City on November 2, 1867, as the weekly ''Harper's Bazar''. ''Harper's Bazaar'' is published by Hearst and considers itself to be the st ...
'' for an article on the
Saks Fifth Avenue Saks Fifth Avenue (originally Saks & Company; Colloquialism, colloquially Saks) is an American Luxury goods, luxury department store chain headquartered in New York City and founded by Andrew Saks. The original store opened in the F Street and ...
department store in their April 1937 issue. The magazine continued to use him in further issues, and he also took commissions from '' Town and Country'' to supplement his income. ''
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...
'' invited the photographer to work for the magazine, but he declined, believing it was not appropriate work for him. He chose to work for ''
Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energ ...
'' magazine, starting with a piece called ''The Tugboat''. Despite orders, he photographed more than just tugboats, including works on the entire harbor and its activities. ''Life'' refused to publish the unauthorized photographs. Kertész resented the constraints on his curiosity. On 25 October 1938, ''
Look To look is to use sight to perceive an object. Look or The Look may refer to: Businesses and products * Look (modeling agency), an Israeli modeling agency * ''Look'' (American magazine), a defunct general-interest magazine * ''Look'' (UK ma ...
'' printed a series of Kertész photographs, entitled ''A Fireman Goes to School''; but credited them mistakenly to Ernie Prince, his former boss. Infuriated, Kertész considered never working with photo magazines again. His work was published in the magazine '' Coronet'' in 1937, but in 1939 he was excluded when the magazine published a special issue featuring its "Most memorable photographs". He later severed all ties to the magazine and its editor Arnold Gingrich. After being excluded from the June 1941 issue of ''Vogue'', dedicated to photography, Kertész broke off relations with them. He had contributed to more than 30 commissioned photo essays and articles in both ''Vogue'' and ''House and Garden'', but was omitted from the list of featured photographers. In 1941, the Kertész couple were designated as enemy aliens because of World War II (Hungary was fighting on the side of the Axis powers). Kertész was not permitted to photograph outdoors or to have any project related to national security. Trying to avoid trouble because Elizabeth had started a cosmetics company (''Cosmia Laboratories''), Kertész ceased to do commissioned work and essentially disappeared from the photographic world for three years. On 20 January 1944, Elizabeth became a US citizen; and Kertész was naturalized on 3 February. Despite competition from photographers such as
Irving Penn Irving Penn (June 16, 1917October 7, 2009) was an American photographer known for his fashion photography, portraits, and still lifes. Penn's career included work at ''Vogue'' magazine, and independent advertising work for clients including Is ...
, Kertész regained commissioned work. He was omitted from the list of 63 photographers which ''Vogue's'' identified as significant in its "photographic genealogical tree". But, ''House and Garden'' commissioned him to do photographs for a Christmas issue. In addition, in June 1944 László Moholy-Nagy, director of the New Bauhaus - American School of Design offered him a position teaching photography. Despite the honor, he turned the offer down. In 1945, Kertész released a new book, ''Day of Paris'', made up of photographs taken just before his emigration from France. It gained critical success. With his wife's cosmetic business booming, Kertész agreed in 1946 to a long-term, exclusive contract with ''House and Garden''. Although it restricted his editorial freedom and required many hours in the studio, the pay of at least US$10,000 per annum ($  per year in ) was satisfactory. All photographic negatives were returned to him within six months for his own use. Kertész worked in the settings of many famous homes and notable places, as well as overseas, where he traveled again in England, Budapest and Paris, renewing friendships and making new ones. During the 1945–62 period at ''House and Garden'', the magazine published more than 3,000 of his photographs, and he created a high reputation in the industry. With little time for his personal work, Kertész felt starved of being able to exercise more artistic creativity.


Later life

In 1946, Kertész had a solo exhibition at the
Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...
, featuring photographs from his ''Day of Paris'' series. Kertész said this was one of his greatest times in the United States. In 1952, he and his wife moved to a 12th-floor apartment at 2
Fifth Avenue Fifth Avenue is a major and prominent thoroughfare in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It stretches north from Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village to West 143rd Street in Harlem. It is one of the most expensive shopping stre ...
near Washington Square Park, the setting for some of his best photographs since having immigrated to the US. Using a
telephoto lens A telephoto lens, in photography and cinematography, is a specific type of a long-focus lens in which the physical length of the lens is shorter than the focal length. This is achieved by incorporating a special lens group known as a ''telephoto ...
, he took a series of snow-covered Washington Square, showing numerous silhouettes and tracks. In 1955 he was insulted to have his work excluded when
Edward Steichen Edward Jean Steichen (March 27, 1879 – March 25, 1973) was a Luxembourgish American photographer, painter, and curator, renowned as one of the most prolific and influential figures in the history of photography. Steichen was credited with tr ...
's ''
The Family of Man ''The Family of Man'' was an ambitious exhibition of 503 photography, photographs from 68 countries curated by Edward Steichen, the director of the New York City Museum of Modern Art's (MoMA) Department of Photography. According to Steichen, ...
'' show was featured at MoMA. Despite the success of the Chicago show, Kertész did not gain another exhibit until 1962, when his photographs were shown at
Long Island University Long Island University (LIU) is a private university with two main campuses, LIU Post and LIU Brooklyn, in the U.S. state of New York. It offers more than 500 academic programs at its main campuses, online, and at multiple non-residential. LIU ...
. Kertész lived at 2 Fifth Avenue during the construction and inauguration of the former
World Trade Center World Trade Centers are sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may refer to: Buildings * List of World Trade Centers * World Trade Center (2001–present), a building complex that includes five skyscrapers, a ...
. He photographed the Twin Towers from his apartment on multiple occasions prior to his death.


International period

Toward the end of 1961, Kertész broke his contract to
Condé Nast Publishing Condé is a French place name and personal name. It is ultimately derived from a Celtic word, "Condate", meaning "confluence" (of two rivers) - from which was derived the Romanised form "Condatum", in use during the Roman period, and thence to ...
after a minor dispute, and started doing his own work again. This later period of his life is often referred to as the "International period", when he gained worldwide recognition and his photos were exhibited in many countries. In 1962 his work was exhibited in Venice; in 1963, he was one of the invited artists of the ''IV Mostra Biennale Internazionale della Fotografia'' there and he was awarded a gold medal for his dedication to the photographic industry. Later in 1963, his work was shown in Paris at the
Bibliothèque nationale de France The Bibliothèque nationale de France (, 'National Library of France'; BnF) is the national library of France, located in Paris on two main sites known respectively as ''Richelieu'' and ''François-Mitterrand''. It is the national repository ...
. He later visited Argentina to see his younger brother Jenő for the first time in years. Kertész experimented with color photographs, but only produced a few. In 1964, soon after John Szarkowski became the photography director at the Museum of Modern Art, he featured Kertész in a solo show. With his work critically acclaimed, Kertész gained recognition in the photographic world as an important artist. The work of Kertész was featured in numerous exhibitions throughout the world in his later life, even into his early nineties. Due to his newfound success, in 1965 Kertész was appointed as a member of the American Society of Media Photographers. His awards rapidly accumulated. In 1974 he received a
Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the ar ...
; in 1974 he was awarded Commander of the French
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is ...
; in 1977 he received the Mayor's Award of Honor for Arts and Culture in New York; in 1980 he received the Medal of the City of Paris, and the first Annual Award of the Association of International Photography Art Dealers in New York; and in 1981 he received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Bard College, and the New York Mayor's Award of Honor for Arts and Culture. During this period, Kertész produced a number of new books. He was able to recover some of the negatives he had left in France decades before. Despite his successes, Kertész still felt unrecognised as a photographer. His last years were spent travelling to various locations around the globe for his exhibitions, especially Japan, and rekindling friendships with other artists. To deal with the loss of his wife in 1977, Kertész fell back on his new network of friends, often visiting them to talk. By this time, he was said to have learned basic English and talked in what his friends called "Kertészian", a mixture of Hungarian, English and French. In 1979, the Polaroid Corporation gave him one of their new SX-70 cameras, which he experimented with into the 1980s. Still growing in fame, Kertész was granted the National Grand Prize of Photography in Paris in 1982, as well as the 21st Annual George Washington Award from the American Hungarian Foundation the same year. In 1980, Kertész sat for Canadian artist
Arnaud Maggs Arnaud Maggs (May 5, 1926 – November 17, 2012) was a Canadian artist and photographer. Born in Montreal, Maggs is best known for stark portraits arranged in grid-like arrangements, which illustrate his interest in systems of identification and c ...
, resulting in the large-scale portrait project ''André Kertész, 144 Views'' (1980). According to Maggs, Kertész described the work as a "portrait mosaic."


Death

Kertész died in his sleep at home on 28 September 1985; he was cremated and his ashes were interred with those of his wife.


Legacy and honors

*1983: honorary doctorate from the
Royal College of Art The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in South Kensington, Battersea and White City. It is the only entirely postgraduate art and design university in the United Kingdom. It offe ...
; and title of Chevalier de la
Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
in Paris: together with an apartment for future visits to the city; *1984: the Maine Photographic Workshop's first Annual Lifetime Achievement Award; *1984: purchase of 100 prints by the
Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
, its largest acquisition of work from a living artist; *1985: Californian Distinguished Career in Photography Award; *1985: first Annual Master of Photography Award, presented by the International Center of Photography; and *1985: honorary doctorate from Parson's School of Design of the New School for Social Research. *1986: Kertész is posthumously inducted into the
International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum The International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum in St. Louis, Missouri honors those who have made great contributions to the field of photography. History In 1977 the first Hall of Fame and Museum opened in Santa Barbara, California and a f ...
. *2002: a New York City photograph by Kertész appeared on a 37-cent U.S. postage stamp, part of a Masters of American Photography series.


Critical evaluation

Throughout most of his career Kertész was depicted as the "unknown soldier" who worked behind the scenes of photography, yet was rarely cited for his work, even up to his death in 1985. Kertész thought himself unrecognised throughout his life, despite spending his life in the eternal search for acceptance and fame. Though Kertész received numerous awards for photography, he never felt both his style and work was accepted by critics and art audiences alike. Although, in 1927, he was the first photographer to have a solo exhibition, Kertész said that it was not until his 1946 exhibition at the
Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...
, that he first felt he received positive reviews on his work, and often cites this show as one of his finest moments in America. During his stay in America, he was cited as being an intimate artist, bringing the viewer into his work, even when the picture was that of subjects such as the intimidating New York City and even his reproduced work printed after his death received good reviews; "Kertész was above all a consistently fine photographer". Kertész's work itself is often described as predominantly utilising light and even Kertész himself said that "I write with light".Capa et ''al'', ''Diary of Light'', pp. inside cover. He was never considered to "comment" on his subjects, but rather capture them – this is often cited as why his work is often overlooked; he stuck to no political agenda and offered no deeper thought to his photographs other than the simplicity of life. With his art's intimate feeling and nostalgic tone, Kertész's images alluded to a sense of timelessness which was inevitably only recognised after his death. Unlike other photographers, Kertész's work gave an insight into his life, showing a chronological order of where he spent his time; for example, many of his French photographs were from cafés where he spent the majority of his time waiting for artistic inspiration. Although Kertész rarely received bad reviews, it was the lack of commentary that lead to the photographer feeling distant from recognition. Now, however, he is often considered to be the father of photojournalism. Even other photographers cite Kertész and his photographs as being inspirational;
Henri Cartier-Bresson Henri Cartier-Bresson (; 22 August 1908 – 3 August 2004) was a French humanist photographer considered a master of candid photography, and an early user of 35mm film. He pioneered the genre of street photography, and viewed photography as cap ...
once said of him in the early 1930s, "We all owe him a great deal." When he was 90 years old, a person asked him why he was still taking photographs. He replied, "I'm still hungry."


Publications

This list is compiled from Capa ''et al'',Capa ''et al'', ''Diary of Light'', pp. 198–206. Corkin & LifsonCorkin & Lifson, ''A Lifetime of Photography'', pp. 9–11. and Könemann ''et al''.Könemann ''et al'', ''Aperture Masters of Photography: André Kertész'', pp. 93–94. *1933: ''Enfants'' published in Paris by Éditions d'Histoire et d'Art. A compilation of 54 photographs dedicated to his mother and his wife Elizabeth. *1934: ''Paris Vu Par André Kertész'' published in Paris by Éditions d'Histoire et d'Art. A compilation of 48 photographs from Kertész's time in Paris. *1936: ''Nos Amies les Bêtes'' published in Paris by Éditions d'Histoire et d'Art. A compilation of 60 photographs of various animals and is dedicated to Szigetbecse, where he took his earliest photographs. *1937: ''Les Cathédrales du Vin'' published in Paris by Etablissements et Brice. A compilation of 28 photographs. *1945: ''Day of Paris'' published in New York by J.J. Augustin. A compilation of 126 photographs, again of photographs during his stay in Paris. *1964: ''André Kertész, Photographer'' published in New York by the Museum of Modern Art. A compilation of 64 photographs from his exhibition that same year at the MoMA. *1966: ''André Kertész'' published in New York by Paragraphic Books. A compilation of 76 reproduced photographs. *1968: ''The Concerned Photographer'' published in New York by Grossman Publishers following "The Concerned Photographer" exhibition. *1971: ''On Reading'' published in New York by Grossman Publishers. A small number of photographs all of various people reading. *1972: ''André Kertész: Sixty Years of Photography, 1912–1972'' published in New York by Grossman Publishers. A compilation of 250 photographs. *1974: ''J'aime Paris: Photographs Since the Twenties'' published in New York by Grossman Publishers. A compilation of 219 photographs from his years in Paris and his later return trips there. *1975: ''Washington Square'' published in New York by Grossman Publishers. A compilation of 104 photographs of Washington Square which Kertész took using a telephoto lens. *1976: ''Distortions'' published in New York by Alfred A. Knopf. A compilation of 200 photographs featuring two naked models distorted in a funhouse mirror. These photographs were taken many years prior to the book's release. *1976: ''Of New York'' published in New York by Alfred A. Knopf. A compilation of 184 photographs taken of New York and is dedicated to Elizabeth. *1977: ''André Kertész'' published in New York by Aperture Inc. A compilation of 44 photographs as part of the ''History of Photography series'' by Aperture Inc. *1979: ''Americana'' published in New York by Mayflower Books Inc. A compilation of 64 photographs from throughout Kertész's career. The photos depict American ways of life and the book is one of four in a series. The other four books, ''Birds'', ''Landscapes'' and ''Portraits'', were released the same year, but Kertész thought the photograph reproductions in the books were terrible and, for the first time, refused to autograph books. *1979: ''Birds'' published in New York by Mayflower Books Inc. A compilation of 64 photographs depicting bird life from throughout Kertész's career. *1979: ''Landscapes'' published in New York by Mayflower Books Inc. A compilation of 64 photographs featuring landscapes from throughout Kertész's career. *1979: ''Portraits'' published in New York by Mayflower Books Inc. A compilation of 64 portraiture photographs from throughout Kertész's career. *1981: ''From My Window'' published in Boston by New York Graphic Society/Little Brown. A compilation of 53 colour photographs, one of the rare times Kertész used colour film. *1982: ''André Kertész: A Lifetime of Perception'' published in Canada by Prentice-Hall Canada Inc. *2004: ''André Kertész'' published in Lawrenceville by Princeton University Press. *2004: ''André Kertész et la Savoie'' published in Haute-Savoie by Fontaine de Siloe. *2005: ''André Kertész: Observations, Thoughts, Reflections'' published in Chicago by Stephen Daiter Gallery. *2005: ''The Early Years'' published in New York by W. W. Norton & Company. *2007: ''The Polaroids'' published in New York by W. W. Norton & Company. *2008: ''Photofile: André Kertész'' published in London by Thames & Hudson.


Exhibitions

This list includes material from Capa et ''al'', Corkin & Lifson, Könemann et ''al'',Könemann et ''al'', ''Aperture Masters of Photography: André Kertész'', p. 92. and Naef et ''al''.Naef et ''al'', ''Of Paris and New York'', p. 258. *1927: Untitled exhibition of thirty photographs at Au Sacre du Printemps Gallery, Paris. The first one-man photographer exhibition ever. *1927: ''III Salon International de Fotografie'' in Zaragoza. *1927: ''XXIIIe Salon International de Fotografie'' in Paris. *1928: ''1er Salon Indépendant de la Photographie'' at the
Théâtre des Champs-Élysées The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées () is an entertainment venue standing at 15 avenue Montaigne in Paris. It is situated near Avenue des Champs-Élysées, from which it takes its name. Its eponymous main hall may seat up to 1,905 people, while th ...
, Paris. *1928: ''Exposition de Photographie'' at Galerie L'Epoque, Brussels. *1928: ''Internationale Foto-Salon'' in Rotterdam. *1929: ''Svaz cs. Klubu Fotografu Amateru'' in Prague. *1929: ''Fotografie der Gegenwart'' in Essen. *1929: ''Der International Ausstellung von Film and Foto'' in Stuttgart. *1930: ''Das Lichtbild'', a travelling show, in Essen and Munich. *1930: ''Primer Salon Annual de Fotografia'' in Buenos Aires. *1930: ''11e Salon de l'Araignée'' at the G.L. Manuel Freres Gallery, Paris. *1930: ''Photographies d'aujourd'hui'' at d'Art Contemporain Gallery, Paris. *1931: ''Deuxieme Groupe de Photographes'' at d'Art Contemporain Gallery, Paris. *1931: ''Association Belge de Photographie'' at the Xe Salon de Photographie, Brussels. *1931: ''Photographies d'aujourd'hui'' at d'Art Contemporain Gallery, Paris. *1931: ''Neue Sportbauten'' at Graphische Lehr-und Versuchsanstaldt, Vienna. *1931: ''An Exhibition of Foreign Photography'' at The Art Center, New York City. *1932: ''Palais des Beaux-Arts'' at Internationale de la Photographie, Brussels. *1932: ''Modern European Photography'' at the Julien Levy Gallery, New York. *1932: ''International Photographers''" at the
Brooklyn Museum The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 1.5 million objects. Located near the Prospect Heights, Crown H ...
, New York. *1932: ''Modern Photography'' at the Albright Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York. *1932: Untitled exhibition at the Museum Fokwang, Essen. *1933: ''Deuxieme Exposition Internationale de la Photographie et Cinema'' in Brussels. *1933: ''Groupe Annuel des Photographes'' at the Galerie de la Pléiade, Paris. *1933: ''The Modern Spirit in Photography'' at The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain, London. *1934: Untitled exhibition at Leleu's Studio, Paris. *1934: ''Groupe Annuel des Photographes'' at the Galerie de la Pléiade, Paris. *1934: ''Exposition de la société des artistes photographes'' at Studio Saint-Jacques, Paris. *1934: ''The Modern Spirit in Photography and Advertising'' at The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain, London. *1935: Untitled exhibition at the Galerie de la Pléiade, Paris. *1936: ''Exposition Internationale de la Photographie Contemporaine" at Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris. *1937: ''Photography 1839–1937'' at the
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...
, New York. *1937: Untitled exhibition at the P M Gallery, New York. *1937: ''Pioneers of Modern French Photography'' at the Julien Levy Gallery, New York. *1942: ''Image of Freedom'' at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. *1946: Untitled exhibition at the
Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...
, Chicago. This was Kertész's first solo museum exhibition in America and he often cited this as one of his finest moments while in America. *1963: Untitled exhibition at Modernage Photo Lab, New York. *1963: IV Mostra Biennale Internazionale della Fotografia, at the Museo Correr - Napoleonic Wing, Venice *1963: ''André Kertész'' at the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris. *1964: ''André Kertész, Photographer'' at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. *1967: ''All Art Is For Life & Against the War in Vietnam'' at the Terrain Gallery, New York. *1967: ''The Concerned Photographer'' at the Riverside Museum, New York. This later travelled across the globe, including Tokyo. *1970: ''
Expo '70 The or Expo 70 was a world's fair held in Suita, Osaka Prefecture, Japan between March 15 and September 13, 1970. Its theme was "Progress and Harmony for Mankind." In Japanese, Expo '70 is often referred to as . It was the first world's fair ...
'' at the U.S. Pavilion, Osaka. *1971: Untitled solo exhibition at the Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest. *1971: Untitled solo exhibition at
Moderna Museet Moderna Museet ("the Museum of Modern Art"), Stockholm, Sweden, is a state museum for modern and contemporary art located on the island of Skeppsholmen in central Stockholm, opened in 1958. In 2009, the museum opened a new branch in Malmö in t ...
, Stockholm. *1972: Untitled solo exhibition at Valokuvamuseon, Helsinki. *1977: ''André Kertész'' at the Musée National d'Art Moderne in
Centre Georges Pompidou The Centre Pompidou (), more fully the Centre national d'art et de culture Georges-Pompidou ( en, National Georges Pompidou Centre of Art and Culture), also known as the Pompidou Centre in English, is a complex building in the Beaubourg area of ...
, Paris. *1978: ''André Kertész'' at The Silver Image Gallery, Seattle (Poster published) *1979: ''André Kertész'' at the Serpentine Gallery, London. *1980: ''Is Beauty the Making One of Opposites?-Photography'' at the Terrain Gallery, New York. *1981: ''La Hongie d'aujourd'hui'' at Les Rencontres de la photographie, Arles, France. *1982: ''André Kertész, Master of Photography'' at the Chrysler Museum of Art, Chrysler Museum, Virginia. *1985: ''André Kertész: Of Paris and New York'' at the
Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...
, Chicago. *1985: Untitled exhibition at Printemps, Tokyo. *1987: ''Theodore Fried & André Kertész: An Enduring Friendship''. H V Allison Galleries, New York. *2003: ''André Kertész: The New York Period 1936-1985'' at
Bruce Silverstein Gallery Bruce Silverstein Gallery is a photographic art gallery in the Chelsea section of Manhattan, New York City. It was started in 2001 by Bruce Silverstein. Archived February 6, 2008. The gallery is a member of the Association of International Pho ...
, New York. *2004: ''André Kertész'' at Jackson Fine Art, Atlanta, GA. *2005: ''The Early Years'' at Bruce Silverstein Gallery, New York. *2005: ''André Kertész'' at the
National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art, and its attached Sculpture Garden, is a national art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of char ...
, Washington, D.C. *2007: ''The Polaroids'' at Bruce Silverstein Gallery, New York. *2007: ''André Kertész: Seven Decades'' at the
Getty Center The Getty Center, in Los Angeles, California, is a campus of the Getty Museum and other programs of the Getty Trust. The $1.3 billion center opened to the public on December 16, 1997 and is well known for its architecture, gardens, and views over ...
, Los Angeles, CA. *2009: ''André Kertész: On Reading'' at
The Photographers' Gallery The Photographers' Gallery was founded in London by Sue Davies opening on 14 January 1971, as the first public gallery in the United Kingdom devoted solely to photography. It is also home to the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize, established in ...
, London. *2009: ''André Kertész: In the Depths of Winter'' at Bruce Silverstein Gallery, New York. *2009: ''Twilight Visions: Surrealism, Photography and Paris'' at
Frist Center for the Visual Arts The Frist Art Museum, formerly known as the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, is an art exhibition hall in Nashville, Tennessee, housed in the city's historic U.S. Post Office building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. ...
, Nashville, Tennessee. *2010: ''André Kertész'' at
Jeu de Paume ''Jeu de paume'' (, ; originally spelled ; ), nowadays known as real tennis, (US) court tennis or (in France) ''courte paume'', is a ball-and-court game that originated in France. It was an indoor precursor of tennis played without racquets, a ...
, Paris. *2010: ''Discoveries'' at Bruce Silverstein Gallery, New York. *2010: ''Re-Collection: Works from the collection of the Colorado Photographic Arts Center'' at the Denver Public Library, Denver, CO. *2010: ''André Kertész: On Reading'' at
Carnegie Museum of Art The Carnegie Museum of Art, is an art museum in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Originally known as the Department of Fine Arts, Carnegie Institute and was at what is now the Main Branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsbur ...
, Pittsburgh, PA. *2010: ''An Intuitive Eye: André Kertész Photographs 1914-1969'' at
The Detroit Institute of Arts The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), located in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, has one of the largest and most significant art collections in the United States. With over 100 galleries, it covers with a major renovation and expansion project complete ...
, Detroit, MI. *2010: ''CITY VIEWS: André Kertész'', Curated by Michael Wolf, Bruce Silverstein Gallery, New York. *2011: ''Eyewitness: Hungarian Photography in the 20th Century'' at
Royal Academy of Arts The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its purpo ...
, London. *2011: "André Kertész Fotografías" at Fundación Carlos de Amberes, Madrid. *2011: "André Kertész Retrospektív" at Hungarian National Museum, Budapest. *2011: "André Kertész: Shadow Marks" at Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg. *2012: "André Kertész: Capturing Paris and New York" at University of Virginia Law Library, Charlottesville, VA. *2022: "André Kertész: Postcards from Paris" at The High Museum, Atlanta, GA.


See also

*
Kertész (crater) Located in the western edge of Mercury's giant Caloris basin, Kertész crater (named in 2008 for André Kertész, a Hungarian-born American photographer) has some unusual, bright material located on its floor. Sander A sander is a power too ...
, named after him


References


Further reading

*


External links


André Kertész: Life and Its Juxtapositions – Biography on André Kertesz
iPhoto Central.
''André Kertész: Seven Decades''
Getty Center {{DEFAULTSORT:Kertesz, Andre American portrait photographers Dada Jewish Hungarian writers American people of Hungarian-Jewish descent Hungarian emigrants to the United States Austro-Hungarian military personnel of World War I Photographers from Budapest Writers from Paris Jewish artists People from Greenwich Village 1894 births 1985 deaths American photojournalists Hungarian photojournalists French photojournalists Journalists from New York City