The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 13, 2025

The Swing, Esztergom

1917, printed 1980

André Kertész

(American, 1894–1985)
printer

Hyperion Press

America
gelatin silver print
Image: 24.6 x 19.1 cm (9 11/16 x 7 1/2 in.); Paper: 25 x 20.3 cm (9 13/16 x 8 in.)
Gift of Alan and Monah L. Gettner 2022.70
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

André Kertész was wounded fighting in World War I and was sent to Esztergom on the Danube River to recuperate.

Description

The two children in André Kertész’s photograph seem to exist in a serene world of calm, peace, and sunshine. As they enjoyed a moment of leisure in Esztergom, World War I raged across Europe. Kertész’s comment on the work, however, emphasizes its formal qualities. He said, “I consciously took the picture from the point of view of the composition. It was important to me to do it.”
  • 1980-2021
    Alan and Monah L. Gettner (publishers), New York, NY, given to The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland
    June 6, 2022-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Kertész, André, and Hilton Kramer. Hungarian Memories. 1982.
  • {{cite web|title=The Swing, Esztergom|url=false|author=André Kertész, Hyperion Press|year=1917, printed 1980|access-date=13 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2022.70