László Moholy-Nagy

About the Artist

László Moholy-Nagy and Lucia Moholy. Untitled (Portrait of László Moholy-Nagy). 1925. Gelatin silver print, 3 11/16 x 2 1/2" (9.3 x 6.3 cm). Thomas Walther Collection. The Family of Man Fund (MoMA 1791.2001). © 2014 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
Alternate Name(s) Weisz László (Birth Name)
Nagy László (Alternate Name)

Meeting Points

Cultural Hubs Berlin
Budapest
Schools Bauhaus, 1919–33
Levy Gallery, 1931–49
Slovak Bauhaus, 1928–39
Exhibitions Twenty-seven Photographers, 1932
Film und Foto, 1929
Foto der Gegenwart, 1929
Fotomontage, 1931
Publications Vogue, 1892–1949
Malerei, Photographie, Film, 1925
Sovetskoe foto, 1926–39
Das deutsche Lichtbild, 1927–38
Foto-Auge, 1929
Atget: Photographe de Paris, 1930
Photography, 1839–1937, 1937

Artist Chronology

July 20, 1895	Born At location: László Moholy-Nagy	Bácsalmás
1915–17	Serves as an artillary officer on the Italian and Russian fronts until shrapnel shatters his thumb At location: László Moholy-Nagy	Asiago L`viv
1917–18	Recovers in the hospital from war injuries At location: László Moholy-Nagy	Budapest
1917–summer 1919	Lives in Budapest At location: László Moholy-Nagy	Budapest
Late 1918	Studies at the Hungarian University of Sciences At location: László Moholy-Nagy	Budapest
1918	Exhibits watercolors for the first time at the Budapest National Salon's Winter Exhibition Participant: László Moholy-Nagy	Budapest
August–late 1919	Lives and works in a studio community in Szeged At location: László Moholy-Nagy	Szeged
Late 1919	Lives in Vienna for six weeks, where he is in close contact with Lajos Kassák and the Ma group At location: László Moholy-Nagy	Vienna
1920	László Moholy-Nagy moves to Berlin and meets Kurt Schwitters, Raoul Hausmann, Hannah Höch, El Lissitzky, Walter Dexel, Adolf Behne, and Lucia Schulz At location: Raoul Hausmann, El Lissitzky, László Moholy-Nagy, Lucia Moholy	Berlin
1920–23	Lives in Berlin At location: László Moholy-Nagy	Berlin
1921–July 1922	Serves as the Berlin representative for Ma At location: László Moholy-Nagy	Berlin
January 18, 1921	László Moholy-Nagy and Lucia Schulz are married They are divorced in 1929. At location: László Moholy-Nagy, Lucia Moholy	Berlin
October 1921	Hans Arp, Raoul Hausmann, László Moholy-Nagy, and Ivan Puni publish "A Call to Elementary Art—to the Artists of the World!" in De Stijl Contributor: Raoul Hausmann, László Moholy-Nagy	Berlin
1922	Exhibition at Galerie Der Sturm Participant: László Moholy-Nagy	Berlin
February 1922	Hans Richter cofounds the Constructivist Group; members include László Moholy-Nagy and El Lissitzky At location: El Lissitzky, László Moholy-Nagy, Hans Richter	Berlin
May 29–31, 1922	Kongress der Union internationaler fortschrittlicher Künstler At location: Raoul Hausmann, El Lissitzky, László Moholy-Nagy, Hans Richter	Düsseldorf
Mid-1922	Begins experimenting with photograms and photomontages At location: László Moholy-Nagy, Lucia Moholy	Berlin
September 15, 1922	Kongress der Konstruktivisten und Dadaisten At location: Max Burchartz, El Lissitzky, László Moholy-Nagy, Hans Richter, Lucia Moholy	Weimar
1923–25	Director of the metal workshop at the Bauhaus, Weimar At location: László Moholy-Nagy	Weimar
1923–25	Gertrud Arndt studies in the Bauhaus Foundation Course with László Moholy-Nagy. After one year Georg Muche persuades her to join the textile workshop At location: László Moholy-Nagy, Georg Muche, Gertrud Arndt	Weimar
December 1923	László Moholy-Nagy invites Aleksandr Rodchenko to write a brochure on Constructivism for the Bauhaus At location: László Moholy-Nagy Affiliated: Aleksandr Rodchenko	Weimar
1925	László Moholy-Nagy publishes Malerei, Photographie, Film Contributor: Paul Citroen, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), László Moholy-Nagy, Georg Muche, Albert Renger-Patzsch, Hans Richter, Alfred Stieglitz, István Kerny	Munich
1925–28	Director of the metal workshop at the Bauhaus, Dessau At location: László Moholy-Nagy	Dessau
Late 1920s	Franz Roh travels to the Bauhaus; László Moholy-Nagy encourages him to experiment and create his own photographs At location: László Moholy-Nagy, Franz Roh	Dessau
1926–27	László Moholy-Nagy and El Lissitzky encourage Edmund Kesting to become more involved with photography. Kesting begins experimenting with multiple exposures At location: El Lissitzky, László Moholy-Nagy, Edmund Kesting	Berlin
April 1926–October 1928	Heinz Loew studies at the Bauhaus, where he takes a course taught by László Moholy-Nagy At location: László Moholy-Nagy, Heinz Loew	Dessau
November 19, 1926–January 10, 1927	International Exhibition of Modern Art Assembled by Société Anonyme, at the Brooklyn Museum Participant: César Domela-Nieuwenhuis, László Moholy-Nagy, Edmund Kesting, Kate Steinitz	Brooklyn
1927–29	Film and photography editor for i10 International Revue Contributor: László Moholy-Nagy	Amsterdam
1927	César Domela-Nieuwenhuis visits the Bauhaus and meets László Moholy-Nagy and Lucia Moholy At location: César Domela-Nieuwenhuis, László Moholy-Nagy, Lucia Moholy	Dessau
April–July 1927	Florence Henri studies at the Bauhaus, where she takes the Foundation Course with László Moholy-Nagy and becomes close friends with Lucia Moholy At location: Florence Henri, László Moholy-Nagy, Lucia Moholy	Dessau
May–August 1927	Juryfreie Kunstschau at the Landes-Ausstellungsgebäude am Lehrter Bahnhof Participant: László Moholy-Nagy	Berlin
October 1927–October 1930	Edmund Collein studies at the Bauhaus and takes the Foundation Course with László Moholy-Nagy At location: László Moholy-Nagy, Edmund Collein	Dessau
1928	Publishes an article about photograms in Uhu Contributor: László Moholy-Nagy	Berlin
February 12–March 5, 1928	Foto – Malerei – Architektur at Kunstschule Johannes Itten Participant: László Moholy-Nagy, Walter A. Peterhans, Albert Renger-Patzsch, Umbo (Otto Umbehr), Hannes Meyer	Berlin
March 25–May 6, 1928	Neue Wege der Photographie at Kunstverein Jena Participant: László Moholy-Nagy, Walter A. Peterhans, Albert Renger-Patzsch, Umbo (Otto Umbehr), Lucia Moholy	Jena
Summer 1928	Exhibition of Kurt Schwitters's group the Neue Werbegestalter Participant: Herbert Bayer, László Moholy-Nagy	Magdeburg
October–November 1928	Exposition de photographie at Galerie de l'Epoque Participant: Berenice Abbott, André Kertész, Germaine Krull, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), László Moholy-Nagy, Eli Lotar	Brussels
1928–33	Lives in Berlin At location: László Moholy-Nagy, Lucia Moholy	Berlin
December 1928	László Moholy-Nagy publishes a self-portrait and still life by Florence Henri in i10 Contributor: Florence Henri, László Moholy-Nagy	Amsterdam
1929–33	Erich Comeriner works with László Moholy-Nagy, designing sets and graphics At location: László Moholy-Nagy, Erich Comeriner	Berlin
1929	Johan Niegeman works with László Moholy-Nagy on the set for the play Der Kaufman von Berlin At location: László Moholy-Nagy, Johan Niegeman	Berlin
1929	Franz Roh publishes Foto-Auge: 76 Fotos der Zeit Contributor: Herbert Bayer, Max Burchartz, Florence Henri, El Lissitzky, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), László Moholy-Nagy, Walter A. Peterhans, Albert Renger-Patzsch, Maurice Tabard, Umbo (Otto Umbehr), Edward Weston, Franz Roh, Semyon Fridlyand, Robert Petschow, Sasha Stone, Dziga Vertov, Hans Finsler, Paul Edmund Hahn, J. Jay Hirz	Stuttgart
January 20–February 17, 1929	Fotografie der Gegenwart at Museum Folkwang Kestner Gesellschaft v.V, Königstrasse 8, Hannover March 10–April 7, 1929 Galerie Neumann-Nierendorf, Lützowstrasse 32, Berlin April 20–May 20, 1929 Whitechapel Art Gallery, London June 6–29, 1929 Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt July 7–August 8, 1929 Leipziger Kunstverein, Augustusplatz 6, Leipzig August 18–September 8, 1929 Lichthof des Neuen Rathauses, Dresden September 15–October 6, 1929 Kunstverein, Rostock October 20-November 10, 1929 am Adolf-Mittag-See, Städtisches Ausstellungsamt, Magdeburg November 28–December 19, 1929 Landesgewerbeanstalt, Kaiserslautern February 23–March 23, 1930 Vereinigung Göttinger Kunstfreunde, Göttingen May 18–June 8, 1930 Participant: Berenice Abbott, Herbert Bayer, Aenne Biermann, Max Burchartz, Florence Henri, Lotte Jacobi, André Kertész, Germaine Krull, El Lissitzky, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), László Moholy-Nagy, Walter A. Peterhans, Albert Renger-Patzsch, Hans Richter, August Sander, Umbo (Otto Umbehr), Lucia Moholy, Karl Blossfeldt, Erich Comeriner, Eli Lotar, Oskar Nerlinger, Robert Petschow, Frieda Gertrud Riess, Sasha Stone, Hans Finsler, Paul Edmund Hahn, Cami Stone	Essen
April 20–May 20, 1929	Neue Typografie at Staatliche Künstlerbibliothek Participant: Herbert Bayer, Aenne Biermann, Max Burchartz, César Domela-Nieuwenhuis, László Moholy-Nagy, Oskar Nerlinger	Berlin
May 18–July 7, 1929	Internationale Ausstellung des Deutschen Werkbunds Film und Foto (FiFo) at Städtische Ausstellungshallen Kunstgewerbemuseum, Zurich August 28–September 22, 1929 Im Lichthof des Ehemaligen Kunstgewerbemuseums, Prinz-Albrechs-Strasse 7, Berlin October 19–November 17, 1929 Stadtmuseum, Danzig (dates unknown) Österreichisches Museum, Vienna February 20–March 31, 1930 Agram, Zagreb April 5–14, 1930 Münchner Bund/Verein Ausstellungspark München E.V. (as part of Internationale Ausstellung. Das Lichtbild), Munich June 5–September 7, 1930 Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo April 1931 Asahi Shimbun, Osaka July 1–7, 1931 Participant: Berenice Abbott, Herbert Bayer, Aenne Biermann, Anton Bruehl, Francis Bruguière, Max Burchartz, Florence Henri, André Kertész, Germaine Krull, Helmar Lerski, El Lissitzky, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), László Moholy-Nagy, Walter A. Peterhans, Albert Renger-Patzsch, Hans Richter, Aleksandr Rodchenko, Charles Sheeler, Edward Steichen, Maurice Tabard, Umbo (Otto Umbehr), Edward Weston, Lucia Moholy, Werner Rohde, George Hoyningen-Huene, Gustav Klutsis, Karl Blossfeldt, Heinz Loew, Erich Comeriner, Semyon Fridlyand, Roman Karmen, Eli Lotar, Oskar Nerlinger, Robert Petschow, Sasha Stone, Dziga Vertov, Yva (Else Simon), Willy Zielke, Irene Bayer-Hecht, Hans Finsler, Cami Stone Organizer: El Lissitzky, László Moholy-Nagy, Hans Richter, Edward Steichen, Edward Weston, Dziga Vertov Visitor: Alexander Hackenschmied	Stuttgart
1930	Franz Roh publishes L. Moholy-Nagy: 60 Fotos, a monograph on László Moholy-Nagy, as part of the Fototek series Contributor: László Moholy-Nagy, Franz Roh	Berlin
1930–31	György Kepes and László Moholy-Nagy work together creating film and stage products At location: György Kepes, László Moholy-Nagy	Berlin
November 1930	Photography 1930, organized by Lincoln Kerstein, at the Harvard Society for Contemporary Art Participant: Berenice Abbott, Margaret Bourke-White, Anton Bruehl, Walker Evans, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), Tina Modotti, László Moholy-Nagy, Charles Sheeler, Edward Steichen, Alfred Stieglitz, Paul Strand, Edward Weston, George Hoyningen-Huene	Cambridge
April 25–May 31, 1931	Fotomontage at Staatliche Kunstbibliothek Participant: Herbert Bayer, César Domela-Nieuwenhuis, Raoul Hausmann, El Lissitzky, László Moholy-Nagy, Aleksandr Rodchenko, Gustav Klutsis, Oskar Nerlinger Organizer: César Domela-Nieuwenhuis	Berlin
May 9–August 2, 1931	Baugewerkschafts-Austellung Designer: Herbert Bayer, László Moholy-Nagy	Berlin
October 12–25, 1931	First solo exhibition in the Unites States, at Delphic Studios The Museum of Modern Art's Department of Photography purchased every work in the exhibition. Participant: László Moholy-Nagy	New York
January 9–29, 1932	Surrealism at the Julien Levy Gallery Participant: Herbert Bayer, André Kertész, George Platt Lynes, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), László Moholy-Nagy, Roger Parry, Maurice Tabard, Umbo (Otto Umbehr), Jacques-André Boiffard	New York
February 20–March 11, 1932	Modern European Photography at the Julien Levy Gallery Participant: Herbert Bayer, Florence Henri, André Kertész, László Moholy-Nagy, Roger Parry, Walter A. Peterhans, Maurice Tabard, Umbo (Otto Umbehr), Jacques-André Boiffard, Eli Lotar, Lee Miller	New York
July 27–September 7, 1932	Twenty-seven Photographers at Wertheim Gallery Participant: Herbert Bayer, Anton Bruehl, Francis Bruguière, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), László Moholy-Nagy, Albert Renger-Patzsch, Edward Steichen	London
1933	Gyula Pap and László Moholy-Nagy collaborate on advertising graphics projects at the Kunstschule Johannes Itten At location: László Moholy-Nagy, Gyula Pap	Berlin
1933	Hajo Rose works as an assistant in László Moholy-Nagy's studio At location: László Moholy-Nagy, Hajo Rose	Berlin
October 3–27, 1933	Modern European Art at The Museum of Modern Art Participant: Constantin Brancusi, László Moholy-Nagy	New York
1934–35	Irene Hoffmann works with László Moholy-Nagy At location: László Moholy-Nagy, Irene Hoffmann	Berlin
Mid 1934–1935	Experiments with color photography while working at large printing houses in Amsterdam At location: László Moholy-Nagy	Amsterdam
1935	Retrospective exhibition organized by Czech architect František Kalivoda at the Arts and Crafts School, Budweis Participant: László Moholy-Nagy	Budweis
1935	Luigi Veronesi and László Moholy-Nagy meet at a collector's house At location: László Moholy-Nagy, Luigi Veronesi	Switzerland
June 1935	Solo exhibition Abstract-Creation Participant: László Moholy-Nagy	Paris
1935–37	Lives in London and works as a commercial artist At location: László Moholy-Nagy	London
November 24–December 9, 1935	Solo exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum Participant: László Moholy-Nagy	Amsterdam
1936 through summer 1937	György Kepes works in László Moholy-Nagy's studio At location: György Kepes, László Moholy-Nagy	London
1936–early 37	Stefan and Franciszka Themerson travel to London and Paris, where they meet filmmakers and artists including László Moholy-Nagy, René Clair, Basil Wright, and Fernand Léger At location: László Moholy-Nagy, Stefan Themerson, Franciszka Themerson	Paris London
March 2–April 19, 1936	Cubism and Abstract Art at The Museum of Modern Art Participant: Herbert Bayer, Constantin Brancusi, Francis Bruguière, César Domela-Nieuwenhuis, Lyonel Feininger, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), László Moholy-Nagy, Hans Richter, Aleksandr Rodchenko	New York
March 6–April 13, 1936	Mezinárodní Výstava Fotografie at Mánes Participant: Raoul Hausmann, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), László Moholy-Nagy, Aleksandr Rodchenko, Alexander Hackenschmied, Jaroslava Hatláková, Edmund Kesting, František Vobecký	Prague
March 15–29, 1936	L. Moholy-Nagy Fotolinie solo exhibition Participant: László Moholy-Nagy	Ceské Budejovice
December 1936–January 1937	Solo exhibition at the New Gallery, London Participant: László Moholy-Nagy	London
December 7, 1936–January 17, 1937	Fantastic Art, Dada, Surrealism at The Museum of Modern Art Participant: Herbert Bayer, César Domela-Nieuwenhuis, Walker Evans, Raoul Hausmann, George Platt Lynes, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), László Moholy-Nagy	New York
January 16–February 14, 1937	Die Konstruktivisten at Kunsthalle Basel Participant: César Domela-Nieuwenhuis, El Lissitzky, László Moholy-Nagy	Basel
March 17–April 18, 1937	Photography: 1839–1937, organized by Beaumont Newhall, at The Museum of Modern Art Participant: Berenice Abbott, Margaret Bourke-White, Anton Bruehl, Francis Bruguière, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Alvin Langdon Coburn, Walker Evans, Florence Henri, André Kertész, George Platt Lynes, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), László Moholy-Nagy, Martin Munkácsi, Roger Parry, George H. Seeley, Peter Sekaer, Charles Sheeler, Edward Steichen, Alfred Stieglitz, Paul Strand, Maurice Tabard, Edward Weston, Jacques-André Boiffard, Robert Demachy	New York
1937–38	Founds the New Bauhaus, Chicago Later known as Chicago School of Design and the Institute of Design, today it is part of the Illinois Institute of Technology. At location: László Moholy-Nagy	Chicago
1937–46	Lives in Chicago At location: László Moholy-Nagy	Chicago
June 1937	László Moholy-Nagy invites Herbert Bayer to teach graphic design at the New Bauhaus, but Bayer declines Affiliated: Herbert Bayer At location: László Moholy-Nagy	Chicago
1937	László Moholy-Nagy invites Luigi Veronesi to teach at the New Bauhaus, but Veronesi declines At location: László Moholy-Nagy Affiliated: Luigi Veronesi	Chicago
1937	Arthur Siegel meets László Moholy-Nagy and shows him a portfolio; Moholy-Nagy offers him a scholarship to the New Bauhaus At location: László Moholy-Nagy, Arthur Siegel	Detroit
July 19–November 30, 1937	Entartete Kunst at the Institute of Archeology in the Hofgarten Participant: Herbert Bayer, Lyonel Feininger, Raoul Hausmann, László Moholy-Nagy, Georg Muche	Munich
1938	Arthur Siegel studies with László Moholy-Nagy at the New Bauhaus during the spring semester; Siegel develops his photogram practice At location: László Moholy-Nagy, Arthur Siegel	Chicago
December 7, 1938–January 30, 1939	Bauhaus: 1919–1928 at The Museum of Modern Art Designer: Herbert Bayer Participant: Florence Henri, László Moholy-Nagy	New York
1939	John Gutmann meets and photographs László Moholy-Nagy At location: John Gutmann, László Moholy-Nagy	San Francisco
December 31, 1940–January 12, 1941	Sixty Photographs: A Survey of Camera Aesthetics at The Museum of Modern Art Participant: Berenice Abbott, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), Lisette Model, László Moholy-Nagy, Charles Sheeler, Edward Steichen, Alfred Stieglitz, Paul Strand, Edward Weston	New York
October 1941	Advance Guard of Advertising Artists at Katherine Kuh Gallery Participant: Herbert Bayer, László Moholy-Nagy Organizer: György Kepes	Chicago
September 16–November 2, 1942	How to make a Photogram at The Museum of Modern Art Participant: Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), László Moholy-Nagy	New York
1943–47	Begins writing his final book, Vision in Motion, which is published posthumously At location: László Moholy-Nagy	Chicago
June 1944	László Moholy-Nagy invites André Kertész to teach at the School of Design; Kertész declines Affiliated: André Kertész At location: László Moholy-Nagy	Chicago
June 20, 1945–June 23, 1946	The Museum Collection of Photographs at The Museum of Modern Art Participant: Berenice Abbott, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), Lisette Model, László Moholy-Nagy, Charles Sheeler, Edward Steichen, Alfred Stieglitz, Paul Strand, Edward Weston	New York
1945–46	After the war Raoul Hausmann resumes contact with László Moholy-Nagy and Kurt Schwitters At location: Raoul Hausmann Affiliated: László Moholy-Nagy	Limoges
1946	Arthur Siegel goes to Chicago to reestablish contact with László Moholy-Nagy; they make collaborative photograms At location: László Moholy-Nagy, Arthur Siegel	Chicago
November 24, 1946	Dies At location: László Moholy-Nagy	Chicago
July 27–September 26, 1948	50 Photographs by 50 Photographers at The Museum of Modern Art Participant: Berenice Abbott, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Bill Brandt, Francis Bruguière, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), Lisette Model, Tina Modotti, László Moholy-Nagy, Charles Sheeler, Edward Steichen, Alfred Stieglitz, Paul Strand, Edward Weston	New York
September 21–December 5, 1948	Collage at The Museum of Modern Art Participant: Paul Citroen, Raoul Hausmann, György Kepes, László Moholy-Nagy	New York
October 5–December 4, 1949	Modern Art in Your Life at The Museum of Modern Art Participant: Herbert Bayer, László Moholy-Nagy	New York