Holden Luntz Gallery - 19.07.2022

Ruth Bernhard: Draped Torso with Hands

Ruth Bernhard, the German-American photographer whose career spanned almost 7 decades is considered a true icon of modernist photography. She has influenced and inspired many with her mastery in use of light, and combining graphic elegance with sensual subject matters. Born in 1905 in Berlin, she studied Art History and Typography at the Berlin Academy of Art for two years before moving to New York City in 1927. During the late 20s, Bernhard became involved with the artistic community in Manhattan, making friends with the likes of Berenice Abbott. She began photographing female nudes in 1934, which would later become a lifelong study, and for which she is best known for today.