Self-Portrait with Brush and Palette

At a time when photography was still not considered a serious art, a group of photographers known as the Photo-Secessionists tried to demonstrate the hand-crafted possibilities of photographic printing. The moody darkness and dramatic highlights of this photograph emerge from visible brushstrokes, the result of the gum bichromate process. Although Edward Steichen was both a painter and a photographer, he chose to represent himself with palette and brush, not with the seemingly more technical tool of the camera. Steichen advanced the Photo-Secessionist cause through photographs like this as well as the exhibitions and publication Camera Work that resulted from his collaboration with close friend Alfred Stieglitz.

For more on Edward Steichen’s work in the Art Institute’s collection visit the website: Edward Steichen's World War I Years.
For more on the Alfred Stieglitz collection at the Art Institute, along with in-depth object information, please visit the website: The Alfred Stieglitz Collection.