Josef sudek s czech, 18961976 melancholic photographs of prague, his studios interiors, czechoslovakian landscapes and still lifes are easily recognized. Josef sudek 17 march 1896, kolin, bohemia 15 september 1976, prague was a czech photographer, best known for his photographs of prague. Josef sudek was born on 17 march, 1896 in kolin, bohemia, in prague. The protagonist, david kozol, was a photographer and mentored under sudek. This book however, details a body of landscape work, dedicated to the mionsi forest in his home country of czech republic. Still life madonna and child,circa 1960 silver print. Documentary photography not as extensively, czech photographer josef sudek created an artistic document of his immediate surroundings. Josef sudek fotografie, a smallformat book with wonderfullyprinted gravure plates, is the perfect testimony to this life obsessed. Josef sudekwas a czech photographer best known for his elegiac blackandwhite images of prague, interiors, still lifes, and the landscapes of bohemian forests.
Often referred to as the poet of prague, josef sudek, was a czech photographer best known for his elegiac blackandwhite photographs of prague. Luminouslint collecting photography photographer josef sudek home back. Sudek produced his best work during his middleaged years, having grown up and out of the rules of modernism and into a style of his own. Oct 01, 2008 the still lifes are the best known aspect of his oeuvre. Originally a bookbinder, sudek was badly injured during world war i, resulting in a partial amputation of his right arm. Sudek initially embarked on a bookbinding career but was derailed by the loss of his right arm while serving in world war one. Jan 15, 2005 i mentioned in a recent thread that i had found at a local bookstore a copy of an aperture book, josef sudek, poet of prague. From the mid1920s until his death in 1976, czech photographer joseph sudek sh. Josef sudek s most popular book is josef sudek, poet of prague. A photograhers life is a fine introduction to sudek, but i cant say that it is one of my favorite books of photography. Poet of prague a photographers life josef sudek on.
Sudek probably is best known for his highly atmospheric pictures of prague. Still, for those not familiar with sudek, it more than covers the bases. To grasp sudeks achievement with this unusual format one must see many more than the four lovely panoramas included in the bullaty volume. Sudek believed that photography depends entirely on.
Still life glass and bread, josef sudek josef sudek. Josef sudek is frequently referred to as the poet of prague thanks to the thousands of lyrical photographs he took of the czech city, proving it to be one of the most enchanting european capitals. From doyle, josef sudek, untitled still life of apple 1950printed 1974, gelatin silver contact print from medium format negative, 7. Sudek josef still life with eggs and glass 1950 1954. Try try again is getting to be my motto kinda fun trying to get these to look like his, mine are. Born in the town of kolin, josef sudek began his working life as an apprentice bookbinder. Sudek also photographed interiors and still lifes, preferring to shoot dreamlike scenes, utilising soft light, either diffused through a foggy window or through clouds on an overcast day. There probably was no one more knowledgeable about sudek, but farovas biographical profile comprising about eighteen pages of the book is rather oldfashioned and old world. Posts about josef sudek written by j josef sudek page 2 y mientras tanto josef sudek. About fototorst josef sudek torst publishing house. Josef sudek the legacy of a deeper vision the brooklyn rail.
Music was a passionate concern of sudek throughout life and among the composers he admired was the czech composer leos janacek 18541928. I went back and purchased the book and am very happy i did so as it is the most inspiring book on photography that i have found in a long time. Dubbed the poet of prague, josef sudek became well known around the streets and concert halls of his city. Dec 22, 2011 sudek is probably bestknown for his striking black and white still lifes. So far 37 volumes have been published, including the first monographs about the works and lives of the worldfamous alphonse mucha, josef koudelka. David kozol remarks on the melancholy that pervaded josef sudek s work and a similar mood persists through the novel. Black and white photography by josef sudek sudek the poet photographer of praha prague josef sudek s life and career is the record of an heroic overcoming of oddsphysical, psychological, political, aesthetic.
Josef sudek used photography as a way to to explore the world around him, and it was in many ways therapeutic, says specialist anne bracegirdle, introducing the introspective czech artist who found solace in still lifes amid wars and political turmoil. Aug 31, 2014 like the previous volumes the window of my studio and still lifes, this new josef sudek monograph collects a series of photographs made within the confines of the czech photographers workspace. Nature photojournalism pictorialism photomontage portrait scientific still life street. Josef sudek was particularly fond of how glass reflects light. Prague during the first half of the twentieth century, at a time when the czech capital was a veritable hub of artistic activity. Josef sudek 1896 1976 was a czech photographer, best known for his photographs of prague. Still life with glasses by josef sudek on artnet auctions. The josef sudek studio is a gallery bearing the name of the renowned czech photographer josef sudek.
Sudek s fascination with photography began in his late teens. Updates and additions stemming from research and imaging activities are ongoing, with new content added each week. Sudek s studio famously verged on installation art, as the poet jaroslav seifert recalled. His love for still life compositions and detailed landscapes meant that he. Although the czech photographer josef sudek was mildly reclusive by temperament, and although his photography is commonly characterized as unpeopled in favor of what he termed the inanimate life of objects, a sizable portion of his oeuvre is. Prague during the first half of the twentieth century, at a time when the czech capital was a veritable hub of artistic. Jun 02, 2014 inspiring quote on photography from josef sudek posted on 2 june 2014 by admin everything around us, dead or alive, in the eyes of a crazy photographer mysteriously takes on many variations, so that a seemingly dead object comes to life through light or by its surroundings.
Originally a bookbinder, sudek was badly injured during action by the hungarian army on the italian front of world war i in 1916. Josef sudek vikarska ulicka, kolem 1935 from the book. His copious productions of stilllife attest to this. Many of sudek s most memorable images were taken from the window of his small studio, documenting his humble courtyard during changing weather and light conditions. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your. Acceding to his reclusive nature, sudek began the window of my studio series in the 1940s. A poor student, sudek decided to become a bookbinder, receiving his certificate at age seventeen, while his younger sister became a photographer. During the first world war he was drafted into the austrohungarian army in 1915 and served on the italian front until he was. In 19, after a threeyear apprenticeship, he gained his first bookbinder certificate. In the 1920s he studied photography for two years in prague under jaromir funke and worked primarily in the pictorialist style. The photographer produced exquisite, exacting blackandwhite prints of cityscapes and landscapes, evocative still lifes, and vignettes glimpsed through his studio window. Many of sudeks most memorable images were taken from the window of his small studio, documenting his humble courtyard during changing weather and light conditions.
Josef sudek made this still life of a pear, taken close up laying on the edge of a wooden table, for his friend, the painter andrej belecvetov, in the 1950s. History of photography book photography abstract photography vintage photography olivia parker josef sudek berenice abbott gordon parks. Entitled the intimate world of josef sudek, this exhibition is the first of this scale to revisit the life and work of josef sudek kolin, 1896 prague, 1976 within its sociogeographical and historical context. Still life glass eggs by josef sudek my version nikon d300 40mm prime lens shot at iso 160. From the mid1920s until his death in 1976, czech photographer joseph sudek shot gothic and baroque architecture, street scenes and still lifesusually leaving the frame free of people and capturing a poetic and highly individualistic glimpse of prague. He was particularly fascinated with his home and garden, often shooting the latter through a window. Josef sudek untitled still life of apple 1950printed. In a career that spanned nearly seven decades, josef sud. It is a tranquil setting, the photo gallery illuminated by the wall of windows that face the garden and its the upstairs rooms are devoted to the collection thousands of sudeks negatives, prints and papers. Josef sudek glasses and eggs 1951 available for sale. Sivko organized the exhibition josef sudek in fine art at the fronta gallery, prague, comprising 114 portraits of sudek by 22 artists.
His most famous series, the windows of my studio captures the view of his courtyard from his room. The offset lithograph is from an unknown edition size. The still lifes are the best known aspect of his oeuvre. Josef sudek by ian jeffrey and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. A photographer who devoted his life to beauty posts about josef sudek written by dr marcus bunyan josef sudek 1959. Josef sudek was a czech photographer best known for his elegiac blackandwhite images of prague, interiors, still lifes, and the landscapes of bohemian forests. Josef sudek fotografie, a smallformat book with wonderfullyprinted gravure plates, is the. Still lifepersonally signed by photographerlimited edition portfolio 39 only the first 50 were hand signed by the photographer, the rest have printed facsimile signaturemedium.
Josef sudek quotations and tips about photography in. Packed with a wide range of images from sudek s oeuvre. He was originally a bookbinder, but lost his right arm in the first world war while serving on the italian front with the austrohungarian army. I believe that photography loves banal objects, and i love the life of. His life shaped and interrupted by two world wars, josef sudek is among the czech republics leading 20thcentury photographers. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Still life photography, fine art photography, photography flowers, chiaroscuro photography, artistic photography, black white photos, black and white photography, josef sudek, andre kertesz. Thats due to its divided focus part overview of sudek s photographic oeuvre, part biographical profile.
This leaves us in no doubt as to his driving passion in life. It allowed him to capture street scenes without going outside and helped. Josef sudek master landscape photographer on landscapet. May 25, 2017 josef sudek may not be known as a landscape photographer, much of his work was still life, urban, occasionally portraits and quite often commercial commissions. More recently, josef sudek was used as a symbolic presence in howard normans novel devotion. Still life, photo by josef sudek, black and white still life photography bwvision black and white fine art photography and long exposure photography josef sudek march kolin, bohemia 15 september prague was a czech photographer, best known for his photographs of prague.
Josef sudek may not be known as a landscape photographer, much of his work was still life, urban, occasionally portraits and quite often commercial commissions. Nov 11, 20 josef sudek was born in 1896, in a small city called kolin, which is located in bohemia, the czech republic. The still lifes emerged from the informal arrangements sudek would make on his windowsill, and occupied him for a number of years. Bretons surrealism would have come into its own there. Dubbed the poet of prague, josef sudek was one of the most important and celebrated of czech photographers. Josef sudek and petr tausk abebooks shop for books. Photographer, 18961976 still life photography is not an easy feat, as one may think it might be. Josef sudeks prague landscapes huxleyparlour gallery. Although he was not born there, sudek spent most of his adult life in prague, making it the main subject of his photography.
Sep 14, 2016 entitled the intimate world of josef sudek, this exhibition is the first of this scale to revisit the life and work of josef sudek kolin, 1896 prague, 1976 within its sociogeographical and historical context. Depicting a range of quotidian objects with a marked artfulnesssome were made in homage to favorite painters like caravaggiothe series deserves a deeper look. Josef sudeks most popular book is josef sudek, poet of prague. In 1990, the studio was listed as a national heritage site. This singlestorey pavilion of only 61 square metres and located in the courtyard of the apartment buildings at no. Sudeks father died when he was just two sudek began to practise the trade of bookbinding when he was fourteen years old. He was a member of the prague club for amateur photographers from 192024, and studied photography at the state school of graphic arts in prague from 1922 to 1924. Still lifepersonally signed by photographersingle image from limited edition portfolio 39 only the first 50 were hand signed by the photographer, the rest have printed facsimile signaturemedium. Although the czech photographer josef sudek was mildly reclusive by temperament, and although his photography is commonly characterized as unpeopled in favor of what he termed the inanimate life of objects, a sizable portion of his oeuvre is given over to portraits.
The silver prints, which are reproductions of classic sudek photographs, include still life, landscapes and cityscapes and panoramic views. May 06, 2015 josef sudek died quietly in prague in september 1976 in prague and today his house has been refurbished and is the atelier josef sudek. Working mostly alone, he roamed the streets of prague and the surrounding areas with a largeformat camera. This is why the windows of his studio, where he spent much of his time, inspired him especially when the glass was foggy or wet with droplets of rain or dew. There is also a short but very effective narrative account of sudeks life and ethos, written by a. This information is published from the museums collection database. Books by josef sudek author of josef sudek, poet of prague. Josef sudek 18961976 was born in the czech republic. Browse upcoming and past auction lots by josef sudek. Josef sudek 1896 1976 a czech photographer, best known for his haunting nightscapes of prague. He lost his right arm while serving in the army and then turned to photography instead. Josef sudek has 21 books on goodreads with 367 ratings.
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