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Wikipedia entry
Introduction
André Kertész (French: [kɛʁtɛs]; 2 July 1894 – 28 September 1985), born Andor Kertész, was a Hungarian-born photographer known for his groundbreaking contributions to photographic composition and the photo essay. In the early years of his career, his then-unorthodox camera angles and style prevented his work from gaining wider recognition. Kertész never felt that he had gained the worldwide recognition he deserved. Today he is considered one of the seminal figures of 20th century photography. Expected by his family to work as a stockbroker, Kertész pursued photography independently as an autodidact, and his early work was published primarily in magazines, a major market in those years. This continued until much later in his life, when Kertész stopped accepting commissions. He served briefly in World War I and moved to Paris in 1925, then the artistic capital of the world, against the wishes of his family. In Paris he worked for France's first illustrated magazine called VU. Involved with many young immigrant artists and the Dada movement, he achieved critical and commercial success. Due to German persecution of the Jews and the threat of World War II, Kertész decided to emigrate to the United States in 1936, where he had to rebuild his reputation through commissioned work. In the 1940s and 1950s, he stopped working for magazines and began to achieve greater international success. His career is generally divided into four periods, based on where he was working and his work was most prominently known. They are called the Hungarian period, the French period, the American period and, toward the end of his life, the International period.
Wikidata
Q241754
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Getty record
Introduction
Kertész began taking photographs at the age of 12. He concentrated on the qualities of quotidian events in his work. In 1914, he served in the Austro-Hungarian army. From 1922 to 1925, Kertész lived in Paris, selling his photographs for 25 francs in order to make a living. In 1937, he moved to New York City and began his association with "Harper's Bazaar," "Vogue," and "Colliers" magazines. His work often concentrates on abstract shapes and shadows created by ordinary objects. After a serious illness, Kertész canceled his contracts with magazines and worked as a freelance photographer until his death.
Nationalities
American, Hungarian
Gender
Male
Roles
Artist, Photographer
Names
André Kertész, Andor Kertész, Andor Kertesz, András Kertész
Ulan
500019907
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Information from Getty’s Union List of Artist Names ® (ULAN), made available under the ODC Attribution License

Works

53 works online

Exhibitions

View all 34 exhibitions

Publications

  • Photography at MoMA: 1920 to 1960 Edited by Quentin Bajac, Lucy Gallun, Roxana Marcoci, and Sarah Hermanson Meister, 2016 Hardcover, 416 pages
  • OBJECT:PHOTO. Modern Photographs: The Thomas Walther Collection 1909-1949 Mitra Abbaspour, Lee Ann Daffner, Maria Morris Hambourg, 2014 Exhibition catalogue, Hardcover, 400 pages
  • The Original Copy: Photography of Sculpture, 1839 to Today Roxana Marcoci. Essays by Roxana Marcoci, Geoffrey Batchen, and Tobia Bezzola, 2010 Exhibition catalogue, Hardcover, 256 pages
  • André Kertész: Photographer John Szarkowski, 1964 Exhibition catalogue, Paperback, pages
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