Harry Callahan
(American, 1912–1999)
Biography
Harry Callahan was a pioneering American photographer who worked in both color and black-and-white. Among his best-known works are the numerous portraits of his wife Eleanor, who served as a constant model throughout his career. His prolific practice included taking took dozens of photographs a day. Callahan's output, however, was exceptionally curated, and he consistently produced less than ten finished prints a year. “I guess I've shot about 40,000 negatives and of these I have about 800 pictures I like,” he once said. Born on October 22, 1912 in Detroit, MI, Callahan taught at the Institute of Design in Chicago, and went on to found the renowned photography department at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence in 1961. During this time period, he served as an influential teacher to many important young American photographers. Callahan accumulated many honors during his life, including being featured in Edward Steichen's landmark “The Family of Man” exhibition in 1955, and was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1996. The artist died on March 15, 1999 in Atlanta, GA, leaving behind some 100,000 negatives and 10,000 proof prints. Today, Callahan’s works are held in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., and the Art Institute of Chicago, among others.
Harry Callahan Artworks
Harry Callahan
(2,164 results)
.jpg "Chicago (trees in snow), 1950")
![[Eleanor, arms raised], 1947](http://qa1.artnet-dev.com/WebServices/images/ll00055lldpumJFgvPECfDrCWQFHPKc965F/harry-callahan-[eleanor,-arms-raised].jpg "[Eleanor, arms raised], 1947")
![[Cape Cod], 1972](http://qa1.artnet-dev.com/WebServices/images/ll00054lldpumJFgvPECfDrCWQFHPKc965F/harry-callahan-[cape-cod].jpg "[Cape Cod], 1972")
![[Eleanor in the Attic, Chicago], 1948](http://qa1.artnet-dev.com/WebServices/images/ll00053lldpumJFgvPECfDrCWQFHPKc965F/harry-callahan-[eleanor-in-the-attic,-chicago].jpg "[Eleanor in the Attic, Chicago], 1948")
![Untitled [Collage, Chicago], 1956–1957](http://qa1.artnet-dev.com/WebServices/images/ll00052lldpumJFgvPECfDrCWQFHPKc965F/harry-callahan-untitled-[collage,-chicago].jpg "Untitled [Collage, Chicago], 1956–1957")
School of Harry Callahan
Group of four portfolios from the Rhode , 1966–1971
Sale Date: June 29, 2020
Auction Closed
.jpg "Wisconsin (Spruce Trees), 1950")
English (US)
©2024 Artnet Worldwide Corporation. All rights reserved.