Heinrich Kühn

platinum print, signed and dated in the negative, 1904 (Neue Galerie, p. 51; The Perfect Photograph, p. 66; Knapp, pl. 12)

This oversized, platinum print on heavy-weight paper, is in overall excellent condition. It features a full range of tones as is expected, with deep, rich brown-blacks to warm, creamy highlights. There is a flattened, diagonal crease across the lower left corner. As is frequently seen in Kühn's prints, the margins are unevenly trimmed.On the reverse of the mount, '251' is written in an unidentified hand in pencil and there are a few stray graphite marks and faint stains.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Heinrich Kühn and Alfred Stieglitz were long recognized as leaders of the Pictorialist movement by 1904, the year they finally first met in Austria.   Stieglitz was the champion of the genre in the United States, giving voice to the most talented and innovative photographers in his publications Camera Notes and later Camera Work.  Kühn himself won a great deal of acclaim showing his work in amateur photographic club exhibitions throughout Europe, and endeavored to unite other photographers working in the Pictorialist vein.  Although Stieglitz was aware of Kühn’s work for some time, having included him in a 1900 issue of Camera Notes and reviewing his work in American Amateur Photographer, their meeting in Austria cemented the photographers’ professional and personal relationship.  In the subsequent years, Kühn and Stieglitz would trade countless letters regarding technical advances and exhibition opportunities, as well as on personal subjects of family and colleagues.   Kühn made the present photograph during that first meeting on 19 August 1904. 

Extant prints of this image are scarce.  Platinum prints of this image are in the collections of the Bank Austria Kunstforum, Wien, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and The Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg.