Artwork Page for Shadows of the Eiffel Tower

Details / Information for Shadows of the Eiffel Tower

Shadows of the Eiffel Tower

1929, printed 1970s

André Kertész

(American, 1894–1985)
Culture
America
Medium
gelatin silver print
Measurements
Image: 27.3 x 34.3 cm (10 3/4 x 13 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Carl and Joan Schneider 2021.234
Copyright
Copyright
This artwork is known to be under copyright.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

Built in 1889, the Eiffel Tower was still a symbol of modernity in the 1920s.

Description

Radical viewpoints were a hallmark of 1920s and 1930s avant-garde imagery, reflecting a new attitude toward space spurred by recent technological innovations such as the skyscraper and the airplane. Smaller, lighter cameras that appeared in the 1920s encouraged a number of photographers including André Kertesz to explore odd vantage points such as bird’s- and worm’s-eye views.
A vertically oriented black-and-white photograph looks down through the ornate iron latticework of a tower. The structure frames the top and left, casting massive, arched shadows across a sunlit plaza. Tiny figures and vintage cars appear as small details against the sprawling geometric patterns. Rectangular lawns and trees border the open space, where strong sunlight creates sharp, high-contrast shadows that dominate the light-colored ground below.

Shadows of the Eiffel Tower

1929, printed 1970s

André Kertész

(American, 1894–1985)
America

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