Portrait of Auguste Rodin

As a member of the Photo-Secession—a group founded in 1902 by Alfred Stieglitz and like-minded artists to recognize photography as a distinct medium of individual expression—Gertrude Käsebier emphasized artistic composition and handcrafted prints. She revered the famous sculptor Auguste Rodin and considered her photographs of him among her greatest accomplishments, producing several different versions of his portrait. In this moody gum print—a process that allows for a more painterly effect—she has enlarged his face to create a sculptural profile. Hugh Edwards acquired this and one other Käsebier image of Rodin in 1967 and included both in an exhibition the following year called Photography before 1914.