The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 19, 2025

Brassaï

1973

Ansel Adams

(American, 1902–1984)
America
gelatin silver print
Image: 34.9 x 26.1 cm (13 3/4 x 10 1/4 in.); Matted: 55.9 x 45.7 cm (22 x 18 in.)
Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund 1974.92
© Trustees of the Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust
Location: Not on view

Description

Widely recognized as a master photographer of the natural landscape, Adams practiced unmanipulated, "straight" photography, incorporating a powerful sense of light, broad tonal range, and accuracy of detail and texture in all his work. This close-up portrait of his long-time friend, the French photographer Brassäi (1899-1984), clearly illustrates those traits with highlights on the face and hat, numerous white, gray, and black tones, and detailed texture of the skin, eyebrows, and hat. Brassäi was often referred to as "The Eye of Paris" due to his numerous nighttime photographs that disclosed the pulse of the city. Rejecting the use of "expressiveness" in his portraits, Adams once wrote, "The expression-many possible expressions-are implied." However, by capturing his sitter's penetrating eyes and dispassionate, quizzical look, Adams aptly conveyed Brassäi's role as a keen observer.
  • Hinson, Tom E. “Photography: Recent Acquisitions.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 62, no. 2 (February 1975): 36–46. Mentioned and reproduced: p. 41-42, fig. 6 www.jstor.org
    Cleveland Museum of Art, Tom E Hinson. Catalogue of Photography. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1996. Reproduced: P. 74
  • Artists Photographing Artists. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 13, 2001-February 27, 2002).
    The Cleveland Museum of Art; 10/13/01-2/27/02. "Artists Photographing Artists," no catalogue.
    CMA, November 20,1996 - February 2, 1997: "Legacy of Light: Seven Masters in Depth."
    Legacy of Light: Seven Masters in Depth. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 20-February 2, 1996).
    Year in Review: 1974. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 11-April 6, 1975).
  • {{cite web|title=Brassaï|url=false|author=Ansel Adams|year=1973|access-date=19 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1974.92