Professor Rudolf Koppitz, 1884-1936

For a detailed discussion of this image see J-A. Conklin & Monika Farber, Rudolf Koppitz 1884-1936, Vienna, 1995.
For a carbon print of this image (in the Royal Photographic Society Collection at the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television, Bradford), see P. Roberts 2001, p. 221.

KOPPITZ'S MOST FAMOUS WORK AND ONE OF THE MOST ADMIRED IMAGES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY.

There is yet to be an extensive study of the role of dance photography in the shaping of the modernist expression of the figure. However it is certainly the case that figures such as Koppitz, Nelly and others produced some of their best work when photographing dancers. In this instance the dancers are from the Vienna State Opera; the nude figure is known to be Claudia Issatschenko. 
This image was produced in a variety of print forms and in various formats. There exist silver, carbon and toned bromoil prints from the original negative, and a small number of photogravures (with slight variations in the print process). The most common format for photogravures is that of the prints produced for the 'Pictures from the Tyng Collection' portfolio, published by the Royal Photographic Society in 1933.
The print offered here does not have the distinctive mount from the Ting portfolio; instead the mount is signed in pencil and inscribed 'For my dear schoolgirl as a memento, 1933' suggesting that it was printed as a gift (possibly for one of his students). 

We have given a date of 1924 for the image, rather than 1925 or 26 as is the custom, because this was the date inscribed by the photographer on the large-format silver print sold Sotheby's, London, 10th May 2001, lot 405.