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EDWARD STEICHEN (American, 1879-1973) THE MAYPOLE (EMPIRE STATE BUILDING) various inscriptions in pe

Currency:USD Category:Everything Else / Other Start Price:NA Estimated At:100,000.00 - 150,000.00 USD
EDWARD STEICHEN (American, 1879-1973) THE MAYPOLE (EMPIRE STATE BUILDING) various inscriptions in pe
EDWARD STEICHEN (American, 1879-1973) THE MAYPOLE (EMPIRE STATE BUILDING) various inscriptions in pencil on verso numbered "25" in red wax pencil on verso vintage gelatin silver print 91/2 x 71/2 in. (24.1 x 19.1 cm) 1932 ESTIMATE: $ 100,000-150,000 PROVENANCE Collection of Joanna Steichen Howard Greenberg Gallery, NEW YORK Private Collection, europe LITERATURE Edward Steichen, A LIFE IN PHOTOGRAPHY, New York, 1963, pl. 213 (illustrated) Richard Pare, PHOTOGRAPHY AND ARCHITECTURE, 1839-1939, Montreal, 1982, pl. 131 (illustrated) John Szarkowski, PHOTOGRAPHY UNTIL NOW, New York, 1989, p. 192 (illustrated) William Ewing, EDWARD STEICHEN, Paris, 1993, pl. 55 (illustrated) Edward Steichen, a master of the photographic process, once said: "The Empire State Building remained a challenge until I conceived of the building as a Maypole and made the double exposure to suggest the swirl of a Maypole dance" (Steichen, A LIFE IN PHOTOGRAPHY, New York, 1963, text n.p.). The image swirls skyward receding to the top edge of the photograph. The geometric patterns recall the twisted streamers of a maypole, signifying the onset of summer. By using a multiple exposure, this photograph of a static monument expresses the motion and activity for which the city of New York is famous. Skyscrapers and bridges were of special significance to Steichen, who was interested in the industrial development of the city at a time when everyone was trying to rise above the difficulties of the Depression. Here, Steichen captures the speed of change and reconstruction. This photograph also resonates at the present moment, when the city of New York is once again experiencing a time of difficulty and rebirth, and the Empire State Building is being newly celebrated as a symbol of the city's strength. The inclusion of this image in the Life of the City, an exhibition celebrating New York City at The Museum of Modern Art, demonstrates the photograph's timelessness and historical importance.