Taken by an unknown photographer, these candid photos offer an insight into the private lives of three remarkable artists
(Image credit: Bonham's)
Never before seen photos of three famous artists have gone up for sale at Bonham’s auction house. In total, 16 candid photos of the artist Georgia O’Keefe, photographer Alfred Stieglitz and writer William Faulker are expecting to bring in $20,000 - $30,000 if sold as a set.
The photographer behind these gelatin silver contact prints is unknown but considering where and when they were taken it’s likely they were good friends with the trio. Gelatin silver print is a monochrome imaging process that has been around since the 1970s. It works due to the light sensitivity of silver halides and can be used for contact printing and enlarging.
A specialist at Bonham’s said, "While the photographer of these remarkable snapshots of Alfred Stieglitz, Georgia O'Keeffe and William Faulkner relaxing at their country house at Lake George is unknown, he or she is clearly part of their intimate circle of friends or possibly a family member. The set is believed to be one of only two known groups - the other (and negatives) believed to be in the collection of Yale University."
Unseen photos of the Circle of Steiglitz
Use the left/right arrows to cycle through this gallery of images.
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(Image credit: Bonhams - Circle of Stieglitz)
(Image credit: Bonhams Circle of Stieglitz)
(Image credit: Bonhams )
(Image credit: Bonhams)
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(Image credit: Bonhams)
(Image credit: Bonhams)
(Image credit: Bonhams)
(Image credit: Bonhams)
(Image credit: Bonhams)
This group of artists was known as the Stieglitz Circle but each had their own talent. While Georgia O’Keefe made a name for herself through colorful, abstract paintings of flowers and skyscrapers, Alfred Stieglitz was a successful photographer who made it his life’s mission to make photography an accepted art form. Writer William Faulker who is best known for his short stories and novels set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County also joined the couple at their Lake Georgia home.
Together, these three artists made a huge impact on the American art scene during the 20th century, Georgia O’Keefe was even coined the “Mother of American Modernism”. The series of 16 portraits are candid, touching moments offering a view into the private lives of O’Keefe, Steiglitz and Faulkner, offering a different perspective than the lives they chose to put in the public eye.
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To find out more information on how to bid, head to Bonham's website.
Having studied Journalism and Public Relations at the University of the West of England Hannah developed a love for photography through a module on photojournalism. She specializes in Portrait, Fashion and lifestyle photography but has more recently branched out in the world of stylized product photography. Hannah spent three years working at Wex Photo Video as a Senior Sales Assistant, using her experience and knowledge of cameras to help people buy the equipment that is right for them. With eight years experience working with studio lighting, Hannah has run many successful workshops teaching people how to use different lighting setups.
