Jennifer Blessing Bücher

In October 1993, Henry M. Buhl acquired a photograph by Alfred Stieglitz featuring Georgia O'Keeffe's hands, which became the foundation of a vast private collection exceeding one thousand images by renowned and emerging photographers. Centered on the theme of the hand, the collection spans photography's history, from a 1840 photogenic drawing by William Henry Fox Talbot to 2002 Polaroids by Cornelia Parker. It includes a diverse range of photographic practices—scientific, journalistic, and fine-art photography—highlighting contemporary art's influence. This book, published alongside a major exhibition from The Buhl Collection, illustrates the hand's significance as a photographic motif, reflecting photography's capacity to capture detail and ephemeral movement. Selected works portray the hand both literally, in portraiture, and figuratively, emphasizing gestures in documentary images. Artistic representations from the 1920s onward treat the hand as an abstract conceptual device. Jennifer Blessing examines the nature of collecting photographs and the unique appeal of hands in this medium. Kirsten A. Hoving discusses their prominence in Surrealist works, while Ralph Rugoff addresses the uncanny qualities of hands in contemporary photography. The catalogue entries, authored by Matthew S. Witkovsky, Melanie Mariño, and Nat Trotman, encompass 150 artists and 168 works, serving as a valuable resource for photography history.

Robert Mapplethorpe's fascination with the human figure is vividly captured in his iconic black-and-white photographs, which celebrate the beauty of the athletic and nude body. This exhibition and its catalogue delve into the interplay between Mapplethorpe's photography and Classical art, particularly Mannerist engravings and sculpture. It marks a significant collaboration between the Guggenheim Museum and the State Hermitage Museum. The exhibition highlights Mapplethorpe's connection to Mannerist art, showcasing how his subjects embody classicism through their clarity and dynamic energy. His portrayal of love and Eros resonates with the Mannerist works displayed, drawing parallels between his portraits of models like bodybuilder Lisa Lyons and the classical figures in pieces such as Jan Harmensz Muller's Sabine woman. The Hermitage's extensive collection of Italian art, featuring approximately 50 Mannerist works alongside Mapplethorpe's, enriches this exploration. Curatorial essays discuss the resurgence of Classicism across centuries, examining the shared obsessions of Mapplethorpe and the Mannerists. They also illuminate his artistic sensibility and interest in pure form and allegory, while tracing his complex relationship with art history, referencing figures like Jacques-Louis David and Auguste Rodin. The catalogue captures both the visual and intellectual dialogue between these artistic traditions.