Arnold Newman: Masterclass

With great sensitivity and care, Arnold Newman (1918–2006) incorporated the personal environment, the work, and the intellectual background of the subject in his photographs. For Newman, creating a successful portrait was a question of camera, lighting, film, and the cropping of a picture. His metaphorical studies of famous artists, creative professionals, scientists, intellectuals, and statesmen are formally and conceptually balanced compositions. With his poignant and symbolic portraits, the American photographer Arnold Newman set high artistic and aesthetic standards starting in the 1930s.

Arnold Newman: Masterclass includes 200 vintage black and white photographs from the oeuvre of one of the most influential portrait photographers of the 20th century. This exhibition presents Arnold Newman’s most famous portraits, in addition to early street photography, architectural studies, and still lifes as well as sheets with zoom and crop marks, which have never been shown publicly. Experience Masterclass and gain insight about Newman’s approach to photography and his contribution to the field of portraiture. 

To complement this important exhibition, the Museum will present a Permanent Collection installation, Arnold Newman: In Context, that includes recent acquisitions in photography, and works by artists portrayed by Newman.

Audio Tour

An exhibition audio tour will be available on your mobile device or from iPods available at the front desk.

Related Events

Members Preview | Friday, June 28
Films in the Garden: Sunset Boulevard | Monday, July 22
Films in the Garden: Rear Window | Monday, July 29
Summer Break | August 1 - 10
Symposium: New Thoughts on the Photographic Portrait | Saturday, August 3
Culture & Cocktails: Arnold Newman | Thursday, August 8
Workshop: Iconic Portrait Collages | Saturday, August 10
Drawing in the Galleries | Friday, September 6
First Friday Films: Blow Up | Friday, September 6