Saul Leiter
1923–2013 · United States
The city as a painting.
The story
Saul Leiter left his religious studies for a creative life in New York. Painting and photography remained connected throughout his work. His colour street images favour fragments, reflections and partly obscured views, while fashion commissions provided part of his livelihood. His late recognition revealed a practice built over many years, far from a pursuit of spectacle.
Understanding the work
Look for screens between the eye and the scene: glass, condensation and umbrellas. A tiny silhouette or a plane of colour can organise an image whose subject remains uncertain.
Key works and series
Early Color; East Village images; paintings and black-and-white photographs.
Sources & further exploration
Works in collections.
3 recordsPhotographs to explore on museum and library websites, with titles, dates and processes. Each link opens the collection record and its image where one is available.
