%C2%A9 Helen Levitt. All rights reserved.
New York, c. 1942
Helen Levittexpand_more
Gelatin silver printexpand_more
Gift of Lora and Martin G. Weinsteinexpand_more 84.125.3
Not on Viewexpand_more
“I saw pictures of [Henri] Cartier-Bresson, and realized that photography could be an art -- and that made me ambitious”- Helen Levitt
At the age of sixteen, Helen Levitt decided that she would become a professional photographer. Inspired by the works of Walker Evans (whose work is in this exhibition) and Henri Cartier-Bresson, she went out and bought a 35-millimeter Leica camera and began photographing the streets and people of New York City. A recurring theme in her early work, (1936-1950), is the complexity and performative qualities of children’s play found in a city street. She photographed primarily in working class neighborhoods, taking pictures of children playing and observing how their games allowed them to reinterpret their environment.
Details
- Title
- New York
- Artist Life
- 1913 - 2009
- Role
- Photographer
- Accession Number
- 84.125.3
- Curator Approved
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© Helen Levitt. All rights reserved.