Philippe Halsman (1906-1979) was a Latvian-born American portrait photographer who was known for his innovative techniques and surrealistic approach to photography. He was particularly famous for his portraits of celebrities, politicians, and artists, many of which appeared in leading magazines such as LIFE, Vogue, and Harper's Bazaar.
Halsman was born in Riga, Latvia, and studied engineering in Dresden, Germany before turning to photography in Paris in the 1930s. In 1940, he fled Europe for the United States, where he established himself as a leading portrait photographer. He worked for many years with LIFE magazine, and his iconic photographs of Salvador Dali, Marilyn Monroe, Winston Churchill, and Albert Einstein, among others, are widely recognized.
One of Halsman's most famous techniques was his use of "jumpology," a technique in which he would photograph his subjects jumping in mid-air. This technique became particularly popular in the 1950s and 1960s and is now widely imitated. Halsman also pioneered the use of photomontage, a technique in which multiple images are combined to create a single surrealistic image.
Halsman's work has been exhibited in major museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Pompidou Center in Paris. He is considered one of the most innovative and influential photographers of the 20th century.
Measures 15 x 18.
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