Yousef Karsh - Most Iconic Portrait Photographer of the 20th Century
Yousef Karsh - Most Iconic Portrait Photographer of the 20th Century
From Wikipedia
An Armenian Genocide survivor, Karsh migrated to Canada as a refugee. By the 1930s he established himself as a significant photographer in Ottawa, where he lived most part of his adult life, though he traveled extensively for work. His iconic 1941 photograph of Winston Churchill was a breakthrough point in his 60-year career, throughout of which he took numerous photos of known political leaders, men and women of arts and sciences. Over 20 photos by Karsh appeared on the cover of Life magazine, until he retired in 1992.
Throughout his life, Karsh photographed "anyone who was anyone." [14] When asked why he almost exclusively captured famous people, he replied, "I am working with the world's most remarkable cross-section of people. I do believe it's the minority who make the world go around, not the majority." [18] He once also jokingly remarked, "I do it for my own immortality." [17] By the time he retired in 1992, more than 20 of his photos had appeared on the cover of Life magazine. [22] Karsh's photos were known for their use of dramatic lighting , which became the hallmark of his portrait style. He had studied it with both Garo in Boston [19] [5] and at the Ottawa Little Theatre , of which he was a member. [18] [4]
His 1941 photo of Winston Churchill , the British Prime Minister, brought him prominence. [23] [24] The photo was taken on December 30, 1941 in the chamber of the Speaker of the House of Commons in the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa after Churchill delivered a speech on World War II to the Canadian members of the parliament. It was arranged by Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King. [13] [12] Churchill is particularly noted for his posture and facial expression, which have been compared to the wartime feelings that prevailed in the UK: persistence in the face of an all-conquering enemy. [14] The photo, which according to The Economist is the "most reproduced portrait in the history of photography", [14] has been described as one of the "most iconic portraits ever shot". [12] USC Fisher Museum of Art described it as a "defiant and scowling portrait became an instant icon of Britain’s stand against fascism." [25] It appeared on the cover of the May 21, 1945 issue of Life , [26] which bought it for $100. [14] It now hangs on the wall of the Speaker’s chamber. [12] Following the dissemination of the photo, Karsh became an internationally known photographer. [20] [4]
During World War II, Karsh photographed political and military leaders and began capturing photos of writers, actors, artists, musicians, scientists, and celebrities in the post-war period. [20] His 1957 portrait of the American novelist Ernest Hemingway , which was shot in Havana , Cuba, is another well-known photo by Karsh. [10] According to Amanda Hopkinson it made Hemingway look like the hero of his novel The Old Man and the Sea . [18] His other notable portraits include George Bernard Shaw at an old age (1943), Dwight D. Eisenhower as a five-star general and Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force (1946), American artist Georgia O'Keeffe in her New Mexico studio (1956), Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev swathed in fur (1963). [4]
Hemingway, George Bernard Shaw, Eisenhower, Georgia O'Keeffe, Nikita Krushchev
JFK, Muhammad Ali, Mother Teresa, Humphrey Bogart
Einstein, Warhol, Mandela, Picasso
Frank Lloyd Wright, Walt Disney, Queen Elizabeth II, Audrey Hepburn
Portraits continued in the first comment.
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Portraits continued:
Albert Schweitzer, Alfred Hitchcock, Pablo Casal, Jacques Cousteau
Peter Lorre, Liz Taylor, MLK, Pope Pius XII
And to finish up, some real eye candy for the guys: Bridget Bardot
Yousef Karsh was for portraits what Ansel Adams was for landscapes.
Besides that his portraits have graced the covers of 20 different issues of Life Magazine, Karsh received an ultimate compliment in his portrait of Churchill being used on a British banknote.
Besides using innovative lighting and poses, I once read that he elicited specific expressions from his clients by what he said to them while snapping photos. For example, he is rumoured to have made an insulting comment to Churchill in order to get that expression of anger and determination.
The term best applied to Karsh's portraits, is CHIAROSCURO.
It could also be applied to much of the imagery of photographer Ansel Adams.
Some who view the photos might not know what "chiaroscuro" means. I didn't and had to look it up.
I should have included the definition … my error.
In painting, those interested in the mastery of chiaroscuro might look at the paintings of Caravaggio.
Yousef Karsh - Most Iconic Portrait Photographer of the 20th Century
And definitely one of the greatest portrait photographers of all time...!