Frederick Sommer

(American/Italian, 1905–1999)

Frederick Sommer was an Italian-born American artist best known for his unique photography. His experiments with double exposures and striking portrait Livia (1948), are among his most acclaimed works. “When you go out to make a picture you find you are moved by something which is in agreement with an image you already held within yourself,” he once said. Born on September 7, 1905 in Angri, Italy, he raised by German-speaking parents in Brazil. Sommer went on to receive an MA in landscape architecture from Cornell University, and after being diagnosed with tuberculosis moved with his wife to Arizona in 1931. During the next decade, Sommer met Max Ernst, Man Ray, and Dorothea Tanning in Los Angeles, their conversations spurred Sommer’s interest in experimenting with photographic processes. The artist was also friends with more traditional photographers including Edward Weston and Ansel Adams. From 1957 to 1958, Sommer taught photography at the Institute of Design in Chicago, substituting for his friend Harry Callahan. Notably, during his career the artist produced drawings of musical scores and despite not being able to read music himself, his composer friends were able to play from his drawings. Sommer died on April 10, 1999 in Prescott, AZ. Today, his works are held in the collections of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, among others.

Frederick Sommer Artworks

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

Frederick Sommer (365 results)
CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF THE BLOOD, 1950

Frederick Sommer

CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF THE BLOOD, 1950

Sale Date: April 5, 2017

Auction Closed

Medallion, 1948

Frederick Sommer

Medallion, 1948

Sale Date: April 6, 2017

Auction Closed

Constellation, Arizona, 1943

Frederick Sommer

Constellation, Arizona, 1943

Sale Date: April 6, 2017

Auction Closed

Livia, 1948

Frederick Sommer

Livia, 1948

Sale Date: April 4, 2017

Auction Closed

Colorado River Landscape, 1942

Frederick Sommer

Colorado River Landscape, 1942

Sale Date: April 3, 2017

Auction Closed

Furies, 1946

Frederick Sommer

Furies, 1946

Sale Date: April 4, 2017

Auction Closed

Circumnavigation of the Blood, 1950

Frederick Sommer

Circumnavigation of the Blood, 1950

Sale Date: April 4, 2017

Auction Closed

The Anatomy of a Chicken, 1939

Frederick Sommer

The Anatomy of a Chicken, 1939

Sale Date: October 6, 2016

Auction Closed

Virgin and Child with St. Anne and the..., 1966

Frederick Sommer

Virgin and Child with St. Anne and the..., 1966

Sale Date: October 6, 2016

Auction Closed

Circumnavigation of the Blood, 1950

Frederick Sommer

Circumnavigation of the Blood, 1950

Sale Date: February 25, 2016

Auction Closed

Virgin and Child with St. Anne and the..., 1966

Frederick Sommer

Virgin and Child with St. Anne and the..., 1966

Sale Date: February 25, 2016

Auction Closed

The Anatomy of a Chicken, 1939

Frederick Sommer

The Anatomy of a Chicken, 1939

Sale Date: May 19, 2016

Auction Closed

Wood and Violin, 1973

Frederick Sommer

Wood and Violin, 1973

Sale Date: April 19, 2016

Auction Closed

Moon Culmination, 1948

Frederick Sommer

Moon Culmination, 1948

Sale Date: April 6, 2016

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1952

Frederick Sommer

Untitled, 1952

Sale Date: February 21, 2016

Auction Closed

Arizona Landscape (from Arizona Landscape..., 1943

Frederick Sommer

Arizona Landscape (from Arizona Landscape..., 1943

Sale Date: February 21, 2016

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1951

Frederick Sommer

Untitled, 1951

Sale Date: February 21, 2016

Auction Closed

The Thief Greater Than His Loot, 1950

Frederick Sommer

The Thief Greater Than His Loot, 1950

Sale Date: February 21, 2016

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1960

Frederick Sommer

Untitled, 1960

Sale Date: November 20, 2015

Auction Closed

Circumnavigation of the Blood, 1950

Frederick Sommer

Circumnavigation of the Blood, 1950

Sale Date: November 20, 2015

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1967–1975

Frederick Sommer

Untitled, 1967–1975

Sale Date: November 13, 2015

Auction Closed

The Birth Of Venus (portfolio of 5)

Frederick Sommer

The Birth Of Venus (portfolio of 5)

Sale Date: October 15, 2015

Auction Closed

Virgin and Child with St. Anne and the..., 1966

Frederick Sommer

Virgin and Child with St. Anne and the..., 1966

Sale Date: October 8, 2015

Auction Closed

ARIZONA LANDSCAPE, 1943

Frederick Sommer

ARIZONA LANDSCAPE, 1943

Sale Date: October 7, 2015

Auction Closed

English (US)

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