Acer (Maple, stems, and shoot of different varieties enlarged 9.0x), from the book Urformen der Kunst (Art Forms in Nature)
Karl Blossfeldt, Acer (Maple, stems, and shoot of different varieties enlarged 9.0x), from the book Urformen der Kunst (Art Forms in Nature), 1928 (negative); 1941 (print), photogravure, Gift of Rick A. Cigel, © unknown, research required, 1996.40.1N
This work is not currently on view.
- Title
Acer (Maple, stems, and shoot of different varieties enlarged 9.0x), from the book Urformen der Kunst (Art Forms in Nature)
- Related Titles
book title (original language): Urformen der Kunst
book title (translated): Art Forms in Nature
original language: Acer
translated: Maple, stems, and shoot of different varieties enlarged 9.0x
- Artist
- Date
1928 (negative); 1941 (print)
- Medium
photogravure
- Dimensions (H x W x D)
image: 10 1/4 in x 7 5/8 in; sheet: 12 5/16 in x 9 9/16 in
- Collection Area
Photography
- Category
Photographs
- Object Type
photograph
- Culture
German
- Credit Line
Gift of Rick A. Cigel
- Accession Number
1996.40.1N
- Copyright
© unknown, research required
- Terms
Sculptor Karl Blossfeldt photographed botanical forms for over thirty-five years, using the images to teach his students about form and structure. These photographs, though straightforward and descriptive, are stunning in their expressive simplicity and abstract nature. They became a touchstone for the reality-based Neue Sachlichkeit—or “New Objectivity”—art movement in Germany, which turned away from an earlier aesthetic infused with romanticism. Blossfeldt’s book Urformen der Kunst, first published in 1928, was so popular that it was reissued in 1929, 1935, 1936, 1941, 1948, and 1953. These photogravures are drawn from the 1941 edition.
- Exhibitions
2012 70 Years/70 Photographs Portland Art Museum
