Los 4190

Klein, William
(1926-2022)Georgian tourist, Moscow

Abgabe von Vorgeboten möglich

Georgian tourist, Moscow. 1959. Gelatin silver print. 37.2 × 24.8 cm. Signed and titled by the photographer in blue felt-tip pen on the verso; numbered “33” in red crayon, with additional annotations in pencil by another hand on the verso.

William Klein’s work in Moscow, produced during a visit in 1959 and later published in his photobook Moscow (1964), offers a bold, idiosyncratic portrait of Soviet life at the height of the Cold War. With his trademark wide angles, dynamic compositions, and preference for spontaneous, often chaotic street scenes, Klein captured parades, public gatherings, and daily routines - rendering a vision that felt both grand and intimate. Unlike traditional propaganda imagery, his photographs convey a sense of irony, humanity, and curiosity, presenting Moscow not as an ideological symbol but as a living, complex city. – Corners slightly bumped, with some handling creases and traces of a removed label on the verso; otherwise in good condition.

Provenance: Robert Lebeck collection

Lit.: William Klein. Moscow (Mockba). Paris, 1964.