Ilse Bing: Photography Through the Looking Glass

by Larisa Dryansky, Edwynn Houk

While Frankfurt-born Ilse Bing's 1931 Self-Portrait with Leica is an icon of modern photography, her exquisite black-and-white compositions, created mostly during her years in exile in Paris and New York, have not received nearly the attention they deserve. This first-ever monograph of the photographer (1899-1998) dubbed the "Queen of the Leica" is cause for celebration on two Those with an interest in Bing's work now have an authoritative source to consult; and students of the form now have proof that Bing ranks alongside Brassaï, Man Ray, and Henri Cartier-Bresson in the pantheon of 20th-century avant-garde photography. This book, based largely on unpublished material from Bing's personal archive, combines biography with an in-depth study of her work in its historical context, creating a portrait of the artist as revealing as it is overdue.

Genres: Photography

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ilse Bing (23 March 1899 – 10 March 1998) was a German avant-garde photographer who pioneered the use of the handheld Leica for art photography.


my shadow and the shadow of the architect Mart Stam on the roof, 1930




Rue de Valois, Paris, 1932, gelatin-silver print