Getty Museum
Late Roses
Creator
Josef SudekCzech Photographer · 1896–1976
All works by this person →Dubbed the "Poet of Prague," Josef Sudek became well known around the streets and concert halls of his city. A poor student, Sudek decided to become a bookbinder, receiving his certificate at age seventeen, while his younger sister became a photographer. At the same time Sudek began to experiment with a box camera and was particularly fond of self-portraits. During active service in World War I, h
More on Getty ULAN- Date
- 1959
- Medium
- Gelatin silver print
- Culture
- Czechoslovakian
- Department
- Photographs
- Institution
- Getty Museum
This still life photograph of three mature roses in a glass and a seashell on a window sill evokes melancholy. Rain streams down the outside of the window like profuse tears, blurring the landscape beyond its frame. A quiet hush hangs over the scene. The generous black border that frames the image serves to further emphasize the composition's sobriety, adding an element of loneliness to the moment. Around 1940 Josef Sudek began to photograph the world through his studio window, often incorporating the windowsill as a kind of stage. Ordinary objects, as depicted here, ceased to be merely representations and became powerful metaphors for emotional states.
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