Harry Callahan

(American, 1912–1999)

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 News

Art & Exhibitions

London's Royal Academy of Arts to Stage UK's First Survey of Abstract Expressionism in Six Decades

by Carol Civre
London's Royal Academy of Arts to Stage UK's First Survey of Abstract Expressionism in Six Decades
Art & Exhibitions

Unprecedented Gift to Whitney Museum's Photo Collection

by Henri Neuendorf
Unprecedented Gift to Whitney Museum's Photo Collection
Art World

Baltimore Museum of Art Receives Major Photo Donation

by Benjamin Sutton
Baltimore Museum of Art Receives Major Photo Donation

Harry Callahan Artworks

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

Harry Callahan (2,164 results)
Ireland, 1979

Harry Callahan

Ireland, 1979

Sale Date: December 6, 2023

Auction Closed

Ireland, 1979

Harry Callahan

Ireland, 1979

Sale Date: December 6, 2023

Auction Closed

Skyscrapers, 1970–1979

Harry Callahan

Skyscrapers, 1970–1979

Sale Date: December 6, 2023

Auction Closed

Eleanor in Attic, 1948

Harry Callahan

Eleanor in Attic, 1948

Sale Date: December 1, 2023

Auction Closed

Detroit (Reeds in Water), 1941

Harry Callahan

Detroit (Reeds in Water), 1941

Sale Date: December 1, 2023

Auction Closed

ELEANOR, CHICAGO, 1949

Harry Callahan

ELEANOR, CHICAGO, 1949

Sale Date: November 30, 2023

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1958

Harry Callahan

Untitled, 1958

Sale Date: November 20, 2023

Auction Closed

Eleanor, Chicago, 1954

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, Chicago, 1954

Sale Date: November 20, 2023

Auction Closed

Providence, 1977

Harry Callahan

Providence, 1977

Sale Date: November 20, 2023

Auction Closed

Group of 3 Photographs, 1953–1958

Harry Callahan

Group of 3 Photographs, 1953–1958

Sale Date: November 20, 2023

Auction Closed

Portfolio de la Rhode Island School of Design, 1969

Harry Callahan

Portfolio de la Rhode Island School of Design, 1969

Sale Date: November 10, 2023

Auction Closed

Cape Cod, 1972

Harry Callahan

Cape Cod, 1972

Sale Date: November 10, 2023

Auction Closed

Eleanor at Fireplace, 1949/Printed later, 1949

Harry Callahan

Eleanor at Fireplace, 1949/Printed later, 1949

Sale Date: November 5, 2023

Auction Closed

Eleanor in Attic, 1948/ Printed Later, 1948

Harry Callahan

Eleanor in Attic, 1948/ Printed Later, 1948

Sale Date: November 5, 2023

Auction Closed

Rome, 1968

Harry Callahan

Rome, 1968

Sale Date: October 17, 2023

Auction Closed

Cape Cod, 1972

Harry Callahan

Cape Cod, 1972

Sale Date: October 17, 2023

Auction Closed

Collages, 1956

Harry Callahan

Collages, 1956

Sale Date: October 17, 2023

Auction Closed

Eleanor, 1954

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, 1954

Sale Date: October 17, 2023

Auction Closed

Chicago, 1950

Harry Callahan

Chicago, 1950

Sale Date: October 11, 2023

Auction Closed

Rome, 1968

Harry Callahan

Rome, 1968

Sale Date: October 11, 2023

Auction Closed

Storefront, Providence., 1960–1969

Harry Callahan

Storefront, Providence., 1960–1969

Sale Date: October 5, 2023

Auction Closed

Cape Cod., 1974

Harry Callahan

Cape Cod., 1974

Sale Date: October 5, 2023

Auction Closed

Weed, Aix-en-Provence., 1958

Harry Callahan

Weed, Aix-en-Provence., 1958

Sale Date: October 5, 2023

Auction Closed

Wabash Avenue, Chicago., 1958

Harry Callahan

Wabash Avenue, Chicago., 1958

Sale Date: October 5, 2023

Auction Closed

English (US)

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