Winter Sunrise, Sierra Nevada from Lone Pine, California, 1941, gelatin silver mural print, flush-mounted on a layered wooden panel, printed 1961, one of the photographs by Ansel Adams. Price Realized: $545,000. Image courtesy of Christie’s Images Ltd

ART AUCTION

A collection of photographs by Ansel Adams achieve a record auction price, revealing why the photographer is one of the most famous American photographers.

BY KAZAD

NEW YORK, NY— The Range of Light: Photographs by Ansel Adams, an auction solely on the work of this preeminent American artist has achieved a combined total of $6,375,563.  The auction was at Christie’s New York on April 3.  The photography sale featured 25 lots.  Buyers came from across the globe to be part of the auction.

The sale includes a wide variety of the photographer’s best-known images and rare, large-format ‘mural’ prints. The top lot at this art sale was Winter Sunrise, Sierra Nevada from Lone Pine, California, 1941. It realized: $545,000.

Laura Paterson, Photographs Specialist, New York, remarked:

We are very pleased with the results of the dedicated auction of photographs by Ansel Adams. The strong prices achieved by the sale are indicative of the demand for the artist’s extremely rare and technically flawless mural prints.

The auction celebrated Adams’ colossal talent and his meticulous creative process. The photographs auction saw enthusiasm from the international marketplace that ranged across period and style noted Philippe Garner, International Head of Photographs and the sale’s Auctioneer.

About Ansel Adams

Ansel Adams was a famous American landscape photographer and environmentalist known for his black-and-white images of the American West. Born on February 20, 1902, his love of photography began as a young kid. After his father gave him an Eastman Kodak Brownie box camera, Ansel did not look back. A major source of inspiration for him was Yosemite National Park.  He first visited the park in 1916 with his family. He was captivated by the light and the beauty before him.

For many years, Ansel Adams continually returned to Yosemite National Park, taking photographs at different times of the day.  Adams’ experience through visits to Yosemite National Park nurtured his environmentalist desires. He was an environmental conservationist, and his photographs reflect his advocacy for the preservation of the environment.

Pure Photography With Full Tonal Range

The works at the auction reflect Ansel Adams’ devotion to what he called “pure” photography, which pays attention to the sharp focus and full tonal range of a photograph.  The simplicity of images and their rich luminous tonality guided Adams’ artistic practice.  He helped form different photography groups, including Group f/64, which focused on creating pure aesthetics.

Adams was one of the key advisors that facilitated the establishment of the photography department at the Museum of Modern Art, giving photography credence as an art form.  Additionally, he helped the department stage its first photography exhibition.  Aperture, the photography magazine he helped found, continues to give credence to the importance of photography as an art form. He also co-founded the Center for Creative Photography.

Ansel Adams’ preference for black and white is intentional. For him, color distracts and diverts the attention of the artist from the achievement of his full potential when taking photographs.

Ansel Adams, Moon and Half Dome, Yosemite, 1960.  Price realized $73,000

Ansel Adams, Moon and Half Dome, Yosemite, 1960. Gelatin silver print, printed 1970-1975 19 3/8 x 14¾in. (49 x 38cm.) Estimate USD 15,000 – USD 25,000 Price realized $73,000. Image: Christie’s

Other artists whose work made a strong showing at the auction included Irving Penn, Francesca Woodman, and Desiree Dolron.

Garner notes the success of the auction:

We were also delighted by the success of the works from the David C. and Sarajean Ruttenberg Arts Foundation, which realized a combined total of $401,063. This selection of works was led by Richard Avedon’s Nastassja Kinski and the Serpent, Los Angeles, California, June 14, 1981, which realized $137,000.

Ansel Adams: Landscape Photography at its Finest

Ansel Adams Photography Quotes

“No man has the right to dictate what other men should perceive, create or produce, but all should be encouraged to reveal themselves, their perceptions and emotions, and to build confidence in the creative spirit.” – Ansel Adams

“I am sure the next step will be the electronic image, and I hope I shall live to see it. I trust that the creative eye will continue to function, whatever technological innovations may develop.” – Ansel

“The sheer ease with which we can produce a superficial image often leads to creative disaster.” – Ansel

“A great photograph is a full expression of what one feels about what is being photographed in the deepest sense, and is, thereby, a true expression of what one feels about life in its entirety.” – Ansel

“You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.” ― Ansel Adams

“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.” ― Ansel Adams

“There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.” ― Ansel Adams

“There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.” ― Ansel Adams

Photography, as a powerful medium of expression and communications, offers an infinite variety of perception, interpretation, and execution.― Ansel Adams

I tried to keep both arts alive, but the camera won. I found that while the camera does not express the soul, perhaps a photograph can!

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