Aaron Siskind 1903-1991

dated, annotated 'BX 1,' and numbered '25' (circled) by the photographer in black crayon and pencil on the reverse, matted, 1950

The photographer to Harold Rosenberg

Andrew Roth at Glenn Horowitz Bookseller, East Hampton, New York

Acquired by Nancy Richardson from the above, 1997

East Hampton, Glenn Horowitz Bookseller, Aaron Siskind: Photographs 1944 --1963, May -- June 1997

Another print of this image:

Aaron Siskind, Photographs (New York, 1959), pl. 25 (inverted)

This photograph is on double-weight paper with a semi-glossy finish. It is essentially in excellent condition. When examined very closely, some very faint, diffuse, warm-toned discoloration can be seen along the bottom of the image - this is very difficult to see and does not detract from the fine appearance of the print. There is a very minor handling crease near the center of the print's bottom edge, and another in the right margin which does not enter into the image. Faint silvering, appropriate for a print this age, is visible in the dark areas. We base our dating of this print on an assessment of the paper, the presence of silvering in the dark areas, and the fact that it does not appear to fluoresce when examined under a black light.
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.

The photograph offered here came originally from the collection of prominent art critic Harold Rosenberg (1906 - 1978).  In the years directly following the second World War, Rosenberg was a champion of the group of painters that would become known as the Abstract Expressionists.  He coined the term Action Painting in his influential essay The American Action Painters, published in ARTnews in 1952.  A compilation of his writing on contemporary art, The Tradition of the New, was published in 1959.

Rosenberg supplied the introductory text for Aaron Siskind's first monograph, Photographs (New York, 1959), although he was not the photographer's first choice.  Siskind had initially written to the artist Robert Motherwell, as well as the critic Clement Greenberg.  When both refused, Siskind contacted Rosenberg, who visited the photographer in Chicago to view the layout of the book and agreed to write the introduction.  Siskind gave Rosenberg a portfolio of his photographs to study while writing, and it is possible that the print offered here is from that group.  While Rosenberg was unaccustomed to writing about photography, it is clear from his introductory essay that he was excited by Siskind's work and its connectedness to contemporary painting.  He wrote of the photographs in the book:

'One will be struck by the resemblance of these photos to reproductions of advanced contemporary paintings.  Aaron Siskind's collection is like the catalogue of a show of "best Americans" that may take place next month in a leading New York art gallery.  Here are the dual picture planes, the calligraphy, the post-Cubist balances, the free strokes and aerial perspectives, the accidental landscapes, galaxies hinted in stains, of half a dozen vanguard styles.  Illuminated by these, the camera's eye has plucked from fences, beaches, rocks, strips of material, images of possible canvases as if someone had had the ingenuity to paint them.  Perhaps someone will paint them.  Certainly they contain the intelligence of painting from which many painters can profit.'