Two leaves
1952
Medium
gelatin silver photograph
Measurements
47.9 × 39.2 cm (image and sheet)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Krystyna Campbell-Pretty AM and Family through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program, 2025
© Trustees of Princeton University
Gallery location
Not on display
About this work
Ruth Bernhard studied art in Berlin before emigrating to New York in 1927, where she worked in the studio of Ralph Steiner. Over the next few years she honed her skills in photography through commercial assignments. Bernhard later moved to California, connecting with fellow photographers Imogen Cunningham, Berenice Abbott and Dorothea Lange. To create this close-up nature study, the artist directed light onto two magnolia leaves using mirrors, exaggerating the leaves’ texture and shape. The result is a modernist-inspired composition that combines light, form and design.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
San Francisco, California, United States
Inscription
inscribed in pencil on support l.r.: Ruth Bernhard
inscribed in pencil on support c.: Two Leaves – 1952 / Ruth Bernhard
stamped in black ink on support c.: © RUTH BERNHARD / All Rights Reserved
Accession Number
2025.520
Department
International Photography