Naples, Italy. 1960. Vintage gelatin silver print. 25,5 x 16,8 cm. Monogrammed "H.C.B." in pencil in lower margin; photographer's reproduction limitation stamp, annotated and layout marks in ink/pencil as well as "Manchete" magazine stamp and text excerpt label on the verso.
Henri Cartier-Bresson is best known for his pioneering role in modern photojournalism and as a co-founder of the Magnum Photos agency. Renowned for his concept of the “decisive moment,” he possessed a rare ability to capture fleeting, unposed situations with clarity and precision, rendering his subjects natural and often unaware of the camera. His photographs are distinguished by their formal simplicity and quiet immediacy. A print of this image is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Planes over the Reichstag, Berlin. April 1945. Gelatin silver print, printed early 1990s. 30 x 40 cm. Signed by the photographer in pencil on the verso.
Jewgeni Chaldej, a Soviet photojournalist, is renowned for his photographs documenting the capture of Berlin by Soviet troops on May 2, 1945, marking the end of World War II in Europe. His images, particularly the iconic scene of the Soviet flag being raised on the Reichstag building, have become crucial visual records of this historic moment.
Literatur: Ernst Volland and Heinz Krimmer, eds. Von Moskau nach Berlin: Bilder des russischen Fotografen Jewgeni Chaldej. Berlin: Parthas 1999, ill. p. 70.
Chaldej, Jewgeni
Atop the Berlin Reichstag, May 2, 1945
Los 4153
Schätzung
1.000€ (US$ 1,136)
Atop the Berlin Reichstag, May 2, 1945. Gelatin silver print, printed later. 22,8 x 30,3 cm. Signed by the photographer and annotated by another hand in pencil on the verso.
A compelling document of this historic moment, later recounted by the photographer himself: "Early in the morning on May 2, 1945, I entered it (the Reichstag). I was surrounded by horrendous noise, Russians and Germans were all shouting in horrible confusion ... A pleasant young soldier came up to me. I had a red flag in my hand. He said, 'Lieutenant, davai, let's hurry up and climb onto the roof with the flag' ... We started out, but all the stairs were badly damaged. When we finally got up the Reichstag was on fire. ...We found a long pole. I spent lots of time trying out different compositions. I took one picture from the left, but that wasn't any good. I wanted Berlin to be clearly visible in the picture. Then I said, 'Boys, go and stand over there and raise the flag ... then try over there'. There were three of them. One was from the Ukraine, the other from Machatshkala in Dagestan and the third was a Russian. ... I shot a whole roll of film, 36 shots." (cited in Volland/Krimmer, p. 151).
Literatur: Ernst Volland and Heinz Krimmer, eds. Von Moskau nach Berlin: Bilder des russischen Fotografen Jewgeni Chaldej. Berlin: Parthas 1999, ill. pp. 65-67 (images from the same series).
Yascha the Reindeer, September 1941. Gelatin silver print, printed later. 29,8 x 39,5 cm. Signed by the photographer in pencil on the verso.
Literatur: Ernst Volland and Heinz Krimmer, eds. Jewgeni Chaldej: Der bedeutende Augenblick. Leipzig: Neuer Europa Verlag 2008, ill. pp. 48-49.
Christoph, Henning
Bloody Sunday, Corner of William Street and Rosville Street, Londonderry, January 30, 1972
Los 4155
Schätzung
750€ (US$ 852)
Bloody Sunday, Corner of William Street and Rosville Street, Londonderry, January 30, 1972. Gelatin silver print on Agfa paper, printed 2000. 31 x 46,3 cm (sheet 39,8 x 49,8 cm). Title label below image in margin; signed, dedicated and dated by the photographer in pencil on the verso.
Henning Christoph, born near Leipzig in 1944, emigrated to the United States with his family in 1950. He studied journalism and anthropology at the University of Maryland and worked as a photographer for Gannett Newspapers in New York before returning to Germany in 1967 to study under Otto Steinert at the Folkwang School in Essen. Since 1969, he has worked as a freelance photojournalist for international publications including Life, Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, Le Figaro, Geo, and Stern. His socially engaged reportages address subjects ranging from the relationship between people and technology to marginalized communities, migrant workers, and religious life; he has received numerous honors, including six World Press Photo awards.
Literatur: Henning Christoph and Shawn Christoph. Irland - Irrland: Reportagen aus dem nordirischen Bürgerkrieg. Trier: Spee 1978.
Railroad Crossing. 1984. Cibachrome print, printed 1985, mounted in photo corners in the original mat. 19,7 x 19,7 cm (sheet 25,4 x 20,3 cm). Signed, titled, dated, and editioned “4/25” by the photographer in ink on the verso; signed, dated, titled, and numbered by the photographer in pencil on the mat cover.
Robert Cottingham is known for his paintings and prints depicting the urban American landscape, with a particular focus on building façades, neon signage, movie marquees, railroad heralds, and storefronts. Although often associated with Photorealism, Cottingham has consistently rejected the label, positioning himself instead within a broader tradition of American realism, alongside artists such as Stuart Davis, Charles Demuth, Edward Hopper, and Charles Sheeler. Beginning in the late 1960s, he incorporated photography into his working process as a tool for observation and composition, while maintaining a primary interest in the subject matter itself - often described as Americana.
Dalí, Salvador and Robert Descharnes
Surrealist photographic collages
Los 4157
Schätzung
1.000€ (US$ 1,136)
Surrealist photographic collages. 1962-1975. 4 dye transfer collages with applied elements, printed before 1989. 40 x 26,8 cm (sheets 59,8 x 45 cm) and 40,2 x 26,6 cm (sheets 60,8 x 51,2 cm). Signed and numbered “45/90” by the photographer in blue felt-tip pen in the lower margin and signed by Salvador Dalí in blue felt-tip pen in the lower right corner.
These collages were created in collaboration between the Spanish Surrealist Salvador Dalí and his secretary and close associate Robert Descharnes (1926-2014). Beyond managing Dalí’s intellectual property, Descharnes played a key role in documenting and interpreting the artist’s work, notably through publications such as The World of Salvador Dalí (1975), which features one of these collages on its cover. The group includes images of Gala Dalí, a tribute to Guillaume Apollinaire, and Dalí’s Venus de Cullero.
Literatur: Robert Descharnes, Gilles Neret. Salvador Dali 1904-1989: Das Malerische Werk. Cologne: Taschen, 1993, ill. p. 731.
San Francisco skyline with Eucalyptus trees (# 318). Ca. 1925. Vintage gelatin silver print on Charcoal Black paper, matted. 8,8 x 11,4 cm (sheet 17 x 20,4 cm). Annotated “318” in ink in the lower margin; annotated in pencil on the verso.
William Dassonville, a photographer and trained chemist, was known for producing his own photographic papers and emulsions in pursuit of specific aesthetic effects. A one-time neighbor of Ansel Adams, he developed the distinctive “Charcoal Black” paper, valued for its rich tonal depth and used by Adams until 1933.
Literatur: Peter E. Palmquist. William E. Dassonville: California Photographer (1879-1957). Nevada City: Carl Mautz Publishing, 1999, ill. p. 65 (similar image).
Design/Midgard Lenklampen
Presentation album of Midgard Lenklampen
Los 4159
Schätzung
800€ (US$ 909)
Presentation album of Midgard Lenklampen. 1920s. 25 vintage gelatin silver prints, mounted to album pages. Various sizes between ca. 12 x 17 cm and 8 x 11 cm and larger (mounts 18 x 25,5 cm). Photographs with “Midgard” and “IWA” blind stamps, some with numbers in ink on the image; company labels affixed above or below each photograph and annotations in ink below the images on the mounts. Bound with string.
Attractive album presenting the various models of Midgard adjustable wall lamps, along with suggested applications and interior settings. Characterized by their functional clarity and articulated joints, the designs closely reflect the principles of Bauhaus modernism.
Demand, Thomas
Untitled (Detail of studio stage background for the show "Was bin ich?")
Los 4160
Schätzung
1.500€ (US$ 1,705)
Untitled (Detail of Studio Stage Background for the Show “Was bin ich?”). 1997. Chromogenic print on Fujicolor Crystal Archive paper, printed 2001. 39 x 60 cm. Signed and editioned “AP IV” by the photographer in felt-tip pen on the verso.
Thomas Demand is known for constructing life-sized models from paper and cardboard, which he then photographs. These meticulously crafted replicas of everyday interiors produce images that appear uncannily real while subtly undermining their own authenticity. His work engages with themes of representation, memory, and perception, questioning the reliability of images in an increasingly mediated world. The present print is one of ten produced but never distributed, intended for the unrealized portfolio westwärts on the occasion of an exhibition at the Kunstmuseum Bonn. The project, which was to include works by DAAD scholarship holders Franz Ackermann, Karin Sander, Anke Doberauer, and Heiner Schilling, was abandoned when Schilling did not contribute. Untitled (Detail of Studio), 1997, is based on a photograph of a 1970s television set used for the German game show Was bin ich?, hosted by Robert Lembcke.
Prague, 21.8.1968. Gelatin silver print, printed 1980s. 27,7 x 37,5 cm. Signed, titled and dated by the photographer in pencil on the verso.
František Dostál was a Czech journalist and documentary photographer based in Prague. He studied at the School of Mechanical Engineering from 1953-1957 and took up photography as an amateur in 1960. His work was first published in 1964 in the weekly magazine Květy, marking the beginning of a long and active photographic career. Dostál participated regularly in photographic salons, and his images were widely published in magazines and newspapers. Over the course of his career, he authored more than 15 books and exhibited internationally, gaining recognition for his keen observational approach to everyday life.
Prague. 1978. Vintage gelatin silver print. 37 x 27 cm. Signed by the photographer in ballpoint pen on the verso.
Portrait of the artist Käthe Kollwitz (1867-1945). 1925. Cropped reproduction gelatin silver print, printed 1960s. 29,5 x 21 cm. Photographer's blindstamp on original print visible in lower right.
A print of this image is in the collection of the Städel Museum, Frankfurt and the Museum für Kunst & Gewerbe, Hamburg.
Farmer's Kitchen, Hale County, Alabama. 1936. Gelatin silver print, printed later from the original negative by Brian Graham. 40 x 28,8 cm (sheet 42,2 x 31,1 cm). Annotated by another hand in pencil as well as "Walker Evans - Gelatin silver print from the original negative" stamp on the verso.
Walker Evans’ work for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) was instrumental in shaping the visual record of rural America during the Great Depression. His photographs captured the stark realities faced by individuals and communities, portraying economic hardship and social dislocation with clarity and empathy. Working alongside other FSA photographers, Evans helped create an enduring documentary archive that not only heightened public awareness but also established documentary photography as a powerful medium for social insight and historical record.
Literatur: John T. Hill. Walker Evans: Lyric Documentary. Göttingen: Steidl, 2006, ill. p. 182.
John T. Hill and Gilles Mora. Walker Evans: Der unstillbare Blick. Munich: Schirmer/Mosel, 1993, ill. p. 206.
Citizen in Downtown Havana. 1933. Gelatin silver print, printed 1988 from the original negative by Brian Graham. 28 x 15,2 cm (sheet 30 x 23,6 cm). Annotated in pencil by another hand, as well as with “Walker Evans – Gelatin silver print from the original negative” stamp and authentication label on the verso.
Literatur: John T. Hill and Gilles Mora. Walker Evans: Der unstillbare Blick. Munich: Schirmer/Mosel, 1993, ill. p. 85.
Maria Morris Hambourg et al. Walker Evans. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000, ill. pl. 38.
Empire State Building, New York. 1940. Gelatin silver print, printed later, mounted in mat. 29,5 x 23,7 cm (sheet 35,5 x 27,5 cm). Signed by the photographer in ink in lower right margin.
After leaving school at age 16 in 1922, Andreas Feininger enrolled at the Bauhaus, before he shifted his focus to architecture, studying first at the Staatliche Bauschule Weimar, and later at the Bauschule Zerbst. While in Zerbst, he developed a growing interest in photography, guided in part by Bauhaus teacher and neighbor László Moholy-Nagy. In 1936, Feininger abandoned architecture to pursue photography full-time, relocating to Sweden, and later immigrating to the United States in 1939. He went on to work as a staff photographer for Life magazine from 1943-1962, and became widely known for his photographic manuals, including The Complete Photographer.
Feininger, Andreas
New York und Chicago in den Vierziger Jahren
Los 4167
Schätzung
600€ (US$ 682)
New York und Chicago in den Vierziger Jahren. 1940-41. 6 gelatin silver prints, printed later from the original negatives. Each ca. 24,5 x 19 cm (sheet 30 x 24 cm). Each with Griffelkunst edition stamp on the verso. Presented in original half-canvas folder with illustrated text brochure.
Literatur: Andreas Feininger. New York in the Forties. New York: Dover Publications, 1978.
Fietz, Helga
The artist Max Beckmann (1884-1950) in his studio, Amsterdam
Los 4168
Schätzung
1.200€ (US$ 1,364)
The artist Max Beckmann (1884-1950) in his studio, Amsterdam. 1938. Vintage gelatin silver print on Gravura paper, mounted along the upper edge to original cream-colored card. 11,5 x 7,7 cm. Photographer’s stamp on the verso.
Best known for her iconic portraits of Max Beckmann, Helga Fietz also photographed numerous other artists throughout her career. In addition to portraiture, she developed a particular affinity for the horses of Iceland, a subject she returned to often and which featured prominently in several published volumes of her work.
Literatur: Carla Schulz-Hoffmann and Judith C. Weiss, eds. Max Beckmann: Retrospektive. Munich: Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, 1984.
Photographer: Friedrich Hermann Emil Kiesel (1877-1943). The actress Anna May Wong (1905-1961). Circa 1928. Vintage ferrotyped gelatin silver print. 22,6 x 17 cm. Photographer's studio reproduction limitation stamp on the verso.
In 1928, Anna May Wong traveled to Berlin in pursuit of more progressive film roles, hoping to escape the stereotyped casting that had defined her career in Hollywood. During this period, she also worked in London and Paris, where critics and audiences responded to her with notable enthusiasm. When Wong returned to the United States in 1930, she did so with an expanded artistic profile and growing international acclaim.
(Attributed to). Advertising photograph for yarn. 1930s. Vintage gelatin silver print on ivory paper, mounted to board. 29,5 x 22,5 cm (mount 34,8 x 32,3 cm). “Häkelgarne” hand-painted in blue in the lower portion of print.
Hans Finsler was born in Heilbronn, Germany. He studied architecture in Stuttgart and Munich, followed by art history in Munich, Berlin, and Halle, a background that informed the formal clarity of his photographic work. In 1922, he began teaching at the Burg Giebichenstein Kunstgewerbeschule near Halle, where he led an influential photography class. His work gained wider recognition with his participation in the landmark Film und Foto exhibition in Stuttgart, where he exhibited 37 photographs. In 1932, he relocated to Zurich, where he continued his career.
Müritz-DDR. 1956. Gelatin silver print, printed 1980s. 28 x 38,8 cm. Signed in ink and stamped by the photographer on the verso.
Arno Fischer’s documentary photographs of East and West Berlin from the 1950s-1960s offer a nuanced view of the city during a period of division and transformation. Marked by observational clarity and a sensitivity to everyday life, they capture both the challenges and resilience of its inhabitants and function as both historical records and autonomous works of art. One of Fischer’s most iconic images, this print bears an older letter stamp on the verso indicating an earlier print date.
Literatur: Elke aus dem Moore and Matthias Flügge, eds. Arno Fischer: Fotografie (exhibition catalog). Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2009, ill. p. 65.
Ost Berlin, Friedrichshain. 1956. Gelatin silver print, printed later. 16,8 x 26 cm (sheet 21,8 x 29,2 cm). Signed, annotated and dated by the photographer in pencil as well as "Edition argus fotokunst" stamp, therein numbered "3/10" on the verso.
Literatur: Elke aus dem Moore and Matthias Flügge, eds. Arno Fischer: Fotografie (exhibition catalog). Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2009, ill. p. 49.
West Berlin. 1957. Gelatin silver print, printed later. 16,8 x 26 cm (sheet 22,3 x 29,3 cm). Signed, annotated and dated by the photographer in pencil as well as "Edition argus fotokunst" stamp, therein numbered "3/10" on the verso.
Literatur: Elke aus dem Moore and Matthias Flügge, eds. Arno Fischer: Fotografie (exhibition catalog). Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2009, ill. p. 40.
René Magritte at his home in Brussels. 1967. Gelatin silver print, printed later. 29 x 38 cm (sheet 30,5 x 40,5 cm). Annotated extensively in French and signed by the photographer in ink on the verso.
Daniel Frasnay began working as an assistant to portrait photographer Roger Carlet at age 16. In the early 1950s, his career as a photographer of Parisian nightlife flourished, and he became resident photographer at the Lido nightclub, documenting revues, ballet, and theater performances. From 1953 onward, he worked as a freelance photojournalist for major agencies and magazines, where his portraits of well-known artists were widely published.
GDR Uprising June 17, 1953
Uprising East Berlin, Leipziger Straße and Potsdamer Platz. June 17, 1953
Los 4175
Schätzung
600€ (US$ 682)
Distributor: Max Schirner agency. Uprising East Berlin, Leipziger Straße and Potsdamer Platz. June 17, 1953. 1 vintage ferrotyped gelatin silver press print and 1 ferrotyped gelatin silver print, printed 1983. Each ca. 17 x 22 cm. One print with magazine archive stamp, therein annotated in ink and one with press text printed on the verso.
The uprising of 1953 in East Germany began with a strike by East Berlin construction workers on June 16 and escalated into a widespread revolt against the GDR government the following day. In Berlin, the protests were violently suppressed by Soviet tanks and the Volkspolizei, yet unrest continued, with demonstrations in more than 500 towns and villages.
Goldin, Nan
Self-portrait after Finger Operation, Berlin
Los 4176
Schätzung
3.000€ (US$ 3,409)
Self-portrait after finger operation, Berlin. 1991. Cibachrome print. 46 x 61,5 cm. Signed, titled, dated, and dedicated “For my sweet Mr Remy” in black marker on the verso.
The American photographer Nan Goldin is known for her deeply personal and raw visual narratives that delve into themes of love, gender, domesticity, and sexuality. Her seminal work, The Ballad of Sexual Dependency (1986), is a poignant documentation of her “chosen family,” capturing the post-punk and gay subcultures of New York City during the late 1970s and into the early 1990s. Goldin’s style is characterized by an informal, snapshot aesthetic, often portraying private moments in intimate settings such as cluttered kitchens, downtown bars, and disheveled beds. Her adept use of color accentuates the emotional essence of each moment. Beyond her photographic endeavors, Goldin has been an active voice in art and activism, addressing critical issues such as the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the opioid crisis. She currently resides and works between New York City, Berlin, and Paris.
Goldin, Nan
Jimmy Paulette after the Parade, New York
Los 4177
Schätzung
2.500€ (US$ 2,841)
Jimmy Paulette after the Parade, New York. 1991. Cibachrome print, printed 1990s. 50,7 x 61 cm. Signed by the photographer in felt-tip pen on the verso.
Literatur: Nan Goldin, David Armstrong and Walter Keller, eds. The Other Side. Zurich: Scalo 2000, ill. p. 63.
Suzanne on her bed. 1983. Cibachrome print. 50,8 x 61 cm. Signed and dedicated “Für Gudrun mit meine bessen” in black marker on the verso.
Yogo in the mirror, Bangkok. 1992. Chromogenic print. 50,5 x 69 cm. Signed, titled, dated, and dedicated “Fur Gudrun mit meine bessen” in black marker on the verso.
Goldin, Nan
James at a Jean Colonna fitting, Paris
Los 4180 [*]
Schätzung
2.500€ (US$ 2,841)
James at a Jean Colonna fitting, Paris. 1995. Cibachrome print. 60,5 x 45,2 cm. Signed and editioned "AP I" by the photographer in felt-tip pen on the verso. Framed under glass in wooden frame.
Nan Goldin’s "James King: Supermodel" series offers a raw, intimate portrayal of teenage model Jaime (James) King, who rose to prominence in the mid-1990s - a transitional moment between the height of the supermodel era and the rise of the so-called “heroin chic” aesthetic. At just sixteen, King was thrust into a fashion world marked by unattainable beauty ideals, the fetishization of youth, and the glamorization of drug culture. Goldin’s photographs avoid mythologizing this milieu; instead, they lay bare its emotional and psychological costs, capturing moments of vulnerability, fatigue, and the loss of innocence. This particular image of James King formed part of Goldin’s 1995 body of work on the model, though it was not included in the final portfolio of the same name.
[*]: Regelbesteuert gemäß Auktionsbedingungen. [^]: Ausgleich von Einfuhr-Umsatzsteuer.
* Alle Angaben inkl. 25% Regelaufgeld ohne MwSt. und ohne Gewähr – Irrtum vorbehalten.
Galerie Bassenge
Erdener Str. 5A
14193 Berlin
Öffnungszeiten:
Montag bis Donnerstag, 10–18 Uhr,
Freitag, 10–16 Uhr
Telefon: +49 30 8938029-0
Fax: +49 30 8918025
E-Mail: info (at) bassenge.com
Impressum
Datenschutzerklärung
© 2026 Galerie Gerda Bassenge
Galerie Bassenge
Erdener Str. 5A
14193 Berlin
Öffnungszeiten:
Montag bis Donnerstag, 10–18 Uhr,
Freitag, 10–16 Uhr
Telefon: +49 30 8938029-0
Fax: +49 30 8918025
E-Mail: info (at) bassenge.com
Impressum
Datenschutzerklärung
© 2026 Galerie Gerda Bassenge