The Collector Ranks Nine Most Influential Photographers, from Cartier-Bresson to Dorothea Lange
The Collector has identified nine of the most impactful photographers spanning the 19th to 21st centuries: Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908–2004), Alfred Stieglitz (1864–1946), Brassai (1899–1984), Nan Goldin (1953–present), Robert Capa (1913–1954), Man Ray (1890–1976), Helmut Newton (1920–2004), Juergen Teller (1964–present), and Dorothea Lange (1895–1965). Cartier-Bresson is renowned for his documentation of pivotal historical moments and striking portraits. Stieglitz was instrumental in advocating for modern art, famously photographing Duchamp’s Fountain. Brassai chronicled the vibrant nightlife of Paris and had a friendship with Picasso. Goldin's photography delves into intimate themes, while Capa, a co-founder of Magnum Photos, reported on significant wars. Man Ray was a trailblazer in Dadaism, Newton excelled in fashion photography, and Lange’s Migrant Mother (1936) alongside her internment camp images brought attention to pressing social issues.
Key facts
- The Collector published a list of the nine most influential photographers of all time.
- Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908–2004) documented Nazi war crimes, post-war trauma, African colonialism, and the post-war Soviet Union.
- Alfred Stieglitz (1864–1946) ran a gallery that showcased young artists, including his partner Georgia O’Keeffe, and photographed Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain.
- Brassai (1899–1984), born Gyula Halász in Brasso, photographed Parisian nightlife and was a close friend of Pablo Picasso.
- Nan Goldin (1953–present) created autobiographical works about love, friendship, abuse, and dependency within her community.
- Robert Capa (1913–1954) co-founded Magnum Photos with Cartier-Bresson and died in 1954 after stepping on a landmine in Vietnam.
- Man Ray (1890–1976) invented rayographs and frequently collaborated with Marcel Duchamp; his most famous works featured Kiki de Montparnasse.
- Helmut Newton (1920–2004) fled Germany in 1938, was interned in Australia, and rose to fame in 1955 with a commission from Australian Vogue.
- Juergen Teller (1964–present) defines his genre as “dirty realism.”
- Dorothea Lange (1895–1965) became famous for her 1936 photograph Migrant Mother, which depicted Florence Owens Thompson, a mother of seven.
Entities
Artists
- Henri Cartier-Bresson
- Alfred Stieglitz
- Brassai
- Gyula Halász
- Nan Goldin
- Robert Capa
- Man Ray
- Helmut Newton
- Juergen Teller
- Dorothea Lange
- Henri Matisse
- Leonor Fini
- Georgia O’Keeffe
- Marcel Duchamp
- Pablo Picasso
- Kiki de Montparnasse
- Florence Owens Thompson
Institutions
- The Collector
- MoMA
- Magnum Photos
- Vogue
- Howard Greenberg Gallery
- Fotomuseum Winterthur
- Stedelijk Museum
- AnOther Mag
- The Auction Lab
- My Daily Art Display
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Paris
- France
- Germany
- Brasso
- Hungary
- Australia
- Melbourne
- Vietnam
- Spain
- Córdoba
- New Jersey
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Provincetown
- Pearl Harbor