August Sander Photography Collection: Beyond the Portrait

This is an exhibition catalog for August Sander, a photographer who represents 20th-century German photography.

Published in 1994 to coincide with "Beyond the Portrait," an exhibition held at the Watari-um Museum, this book features a carefully selected collection of works from Sander's large-scale project, "Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts (People of the 20th Century)," which he worked on throughout his life.

Farmers, laborers, artisans, artists, intellectuals—Sander's portraits of the people who made up German society at the time, categorized by occupation and social class, are highly regarded not just as simple portraits but as an attempt to document the era itself.

With their straightforward compositions, simple backgrounds, and restrained gaze, these quiet photographs reveal not only individual existences but also the social structures and atmosphere of the times.

In addition to representative works, this book also includes documentary photographs of Sander's studio and darkroom. The planning and composition were done by his son and fellow photographer, Gerd Sander. With Japanese text, the book allows for a multifaceted exploration of Sander's work.

This is a crucial book not only for post-war German photography but also as a source for typological photography, documentary photography, and contemporary portraiture.

[Title] August Sander Photo Book: Beyond the Portrait
[Publisher] Watari-um Museum, Ars Nicolai Publishing (Berlin)
[Publication Date] 1994
[Pages] 272 pages
[Size] Approximately 215 x 285 x 22mm / 1,310g
[Format] Softcover
[Language] Japanese
[Title Reading] AUGUST SANDER SHASHINSHU SHOZO NO KANATA
[Author/Editor] Gerd Sander / Planning & Composition, Barbara Gebler / Editing, Chihiro Shigeyama (Isamu Design) / Design
[Printing] H. Hoehnemann (Berlin) / Printing, Lüderitz & Bauer (Berlin) / Binding
[ISBN] 490039825X
[Condition] Used [4] Fair to Below Fair (Book: cover scuffed/slightly wrinkled, spine wrinkled, light foxing on endpapers and top edge)
[Accessories] None
[Featured In] -
[Related Exhibition] "August Sander Photo Book: Beyond the Portrait" (Watari-um Museum, 1994)

August SANDER (1876-1964)

Born in Heddorf, Germany, in 1876. Photographer.

Known as a leading figure in 20th-century German photography, he dedicated his life to the creation of "Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts (People of the 20th Century)." He photographed people from various occupations and social strata that made up the society of his time, including farmers, artisans, soldiers, artists, and intellectuals, constructing a colossal "portrait of society."

His objective and serene photographs documented the atmosphere of Weimar Germany and significantly influenced later documentary photography and typological photography.

Despite experiencing the loss of his work during World War II and oppression under the Nazi regime, he continued his creative endeavors. Today, he is internationally recognized as one of the most important artists in the history of 20th-century photography.

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