PHOTOGRAPHS
Genthe, Arnold
Germany / U.S. (1869 - 1942)
Columns of the Parthenon
1938
Gelatin silver print
12 13/16 x 9 7/16 in. (32.5 x 24 cm) image and sheet size; 18 1/4 x 14 in. (46.4 x 35.6 cm) mount sheet size
Monsen Study Collection of Photography, gift of Joseph and Elaine Monsen
FA 79.82

Originally trained as a classical scholar, Arnold Genthe taught himself photography soon after emigrating to the United States from Germany in 1895. During his twilight years he rekindled his scholarly passions and traveled to Greece to explore this ancient land through photography. Columns of the Parthenon showcases his pictorialist style. The soft focus used and the presence of the clouds seen through the Parthenon’s columns indicate his effort to stress the atmosphere of the setting and to create a well-composed.

After moving to San Francisco in 1895, Arnold Genthe established a successful portrait studio. He began to experiment with landscape photography toward the end of his life. These often haunting photographs were influenced by his early desire to be a painter and his deep interest in ancient history and mythology. For Genthe, the views in Greece were thrilling: "One could spend many months tracing the charm of the Greek islands, and every day come upon some new adventure in an old beauty," he wrote. "The awesome cliffs, volcanic tufa, bays that are so deep no ships can anchor there, the terraces that look out over the sea - enchanting beauty at every step.” -- Label copy for 150 Works of Art, October 1, 2005 to February 26, 2006.