Street Photography Austria-Hungary (1868-1918)
Brassaï, whose real name was Gyula Halász, was a Hungarian-French artist and photographer best known for his work documenting the streets of Paris during the 1920s and 1930s. He was one of the key figures of the Surrealist movement and his work continues to influence photographers and artists to this day.
Brassaï moved to Paris in the 1920s to pursue a career in art. He initially worked as a journalist and began taking photographs to accompany his articles. However, it was his nocturnal photographs of the city that would bring him international fame.
Brassaï's photographs of the streets of Paris at night captured the city's seedier side, including its prostitutes, bars, and cabarets. His work is known for its use of dramatic lighting and strong contrast, which helped to create a moody, evocative atmosphere.
In addition to his photography, Brassaï was also a talented painter and sculptor. He was a close friend of many of the leading artists and writers of the time, including Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, and Henry Miller.
Brassaï's work has been exhibited in major museums and galleries around the world, and his photographs have been published in numerous books and magazines. He was one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century, and his legacy continues to inspire artists and photographers today.
Arthur (Usher) Fellig, known by his pseudonym Weegee, was a photographer and photojournalist, known for his stark black and white street photography in New York City.
Weegee worked in Manhattan's Lower East Side as a press photographer during the 1930s and 1940s and developed his signature style by following the city's emergency services and documenting their activity. Much of his work depicted unflinchingly realistic scenes of urban life, crime, injury and death. Weegee published photographic books and also worked in cinema, initially making his own short films and later collaborating with film directors such as Jack Donohue and Stanley Kubrick.
Lisette Model was an Austrian-born photographer who became known for her work in the United States in the mid-20th century. She was began her artistic career as a pianist before turning to photography.
Model's photographic style was characterized by her use of high-contrast black and white images and her interest in capturing the grit and energy of urban life. She often photographed people on the margins of society, such as street vendors, beggars, and nightclub performers, and her images were marked by a sense of empathy and intimacy with her subjects.
In addition to her work as a photographer, Model was also a teacher, and she taught photography at the New School for Social Research in New York City for many years. Her students included Diane Arbus and Bruce Weber, among others, and she was known for her direct and often challenging approach to teaching.
Model's work has had a significant impact on the field of photography, and her legacy continues to inspire new generations of artists. Her photographs are prized for their emotional intensity and their ability to capture the complexities of human experience, and she is remembered as one of the most important photographers of the 20th century.