Self-Portrait with Brush and Palette

<p>At a time when photography was still not considered a serious art, a group of photographers known as the Photo-Secessionists tried to demonstrate the hand-crafted possibilities of photographic printing. The moody darkness and dramatic highlights of this photograph emerge from visible brushstrokes, the result of the gum bichromate process. Although Edward Steichen was both a painter and a photographer, he chose to represent himself with palette and brush, not with the seemingly more technical tool of the camera. Steichen advanced the Photo-Secessionist cause through photographs like this as well as the exhibitions and publication <em>Camera Work</em> that resulted from his collaboration with close friend Alfred Stieglitz.</br></p> <p>For more on Edward Steichen’s work in the Art Institute’s collection visit the website: <a href="http://media.artic.edu/steichen/index.html">Edward Steichen's World War I Years</a>.</br>For more on the Alfred Stieglitz collection at the Art Institute, along with in-depth object information, please visit the website: <a href="http://media.artic.edu/stieglitz">The Alfred Stieglitz Collection</a>.</p>