Edward J. Steichen: The Flatiron Poster

Description

Our poster features Edward Steichen’s (American, b. Luxembourg, 1879–1973) 1904 print, The Flatiron. This print is the quintessential chromatic study of twilight. Steichen added color to the platinum print that forms the foundation of this photograph by using layers of pigment suspended in a light-sensitive solution. The Flatiron is a prime example of the conscious effort of photographers in the circle of Alfred Stieglitz (American, 1864–1946) to assert the artistic potential of their medium.

Poster © 2010 by The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Printed in the USA. Poster measures 24'' x 34''.

Art History

Edward Steichen (American, b. Luxembourg, 1879–1973)—perhaps best known as a fashion photographer, celebrity portraitist, and MoMA curator—was Alfred Stieglitz’s protégé in Paris, gallery collaborator, and most talented exemplar of Photo-Secessionist photography. The Flatiron is indebted in its composition to the Japanese woodcuts that were in vogue at the turn of the century and, in its coloristic effect, to the Nocturnes of Whistler.