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 (2,068 results)
Eleanor and Barbara, Chicago, 1954

Harry Callahan

Eleanor and Barbara, Chicago, 1954

Sale Date: April 10, 2024

Auction Closed

Eleanor, 1948

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, 1948

Sale Date: April 10, 2024

Auction Closed

Eleanor (Chicago), 1948

Harry Callahan

Eleanor (Chicago), 1948

Sale Date: April 5, 2024

Auction Closed

New York (Mannequin Legs), 1955

Harry Callahan

New York (Mannequin Legs), 1955

Sale Date: April 5, 2024

Auction Closed

Chicago (woman carrying paper bag), 1961

Harry Callahan

Chicago (woman carrying paper bag), 1961

Sale Date: April 5, 2024

Auction Closed

Atlanta, 1984

Harry Callahan

Atlanta, 1984

Sale Date: April 5, 2024

Auction Closed

Michigan (tree abstraction, multiple exposure), 1943

Harry Callahan

Michigan (tree abstraction, multiple exposure), 1943

Sale Date: April 5, 2024

Auction Closed

Chicago (brick wall), 1950

Harry Callahan

Chicago (brick wall), 1950

Sale Date: April 5, 2024

Auction Closed

Chicago (woman with sunglasses), 1950

Harry Callahan

Chicago (woman with sunglasses), 1950

Sale Date: April 5, 2024

Auction Closed

Untitled (telephone wires), 1945–1976

Harry Callahan

Untitled (telephone wires), 1945–1976

Sale Date: April 5, 2024

Auction Closed

Eleanor/Silhouette (Chicago), 1948

Harry Callahan

Eleanor/Silhouette (Chicago), 1948

Sale Date: April 5, 2024

Auction Closed

Eleanor, Aix-en-Provence, France, 1958, 1958

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, Aix-en-Provence, France, 1958, 1958

Sale Date: April 3, 2024

Auction Closed

Eleanor, Aix-en-Provence, France,..., 1957–1958

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, Aix-en-Provence, France,..., 1957–1958

Sale Date: April 3, 2024

Auction Closed

A gorgeous custom box set containing 4..., 1949–1974

Harry Callahan

A gorgeous custom box set containing 4..., 1949–1974

Sale Date: February 15, 2024

Auction Closed

Eleanor, Chicago, 1948

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, Chicago, 1948

Sale Date: October 25, 2023

Auction Closed

Chicago, 1958

Harry Callahan

Chicago, 1958

Sale Date: December 18, 2023

Auction Closed

Detroit, 1941

Harry Callahan

Detroit, 1941

Sale Date: December 18, 2023

Auction Closed

Eleanor, Chicago, 1954

Harry Callahan

Eleanor, Chicago, 1954

Sale Date: December 18, 2023

Auction Closed

Selected Images (from Providence), 1962

Harry Callahan

Selected Images (from Providence), 1962

Sale Date: December 18, 2023

Auction Closed

Chicago (Woman on Street), 1961

Harry Callahan

Chicago (Woman on Street), 1961

Sale Date: December 18, 2023

Auction Closed

Harry Calahan: Color, 1980

Harry Callahan

Harry Calahan: Color, 1980

Sale Date: December 13, 2023

Auction Closed

Street scene, Providence, R.I.

Harry Callahan

Street scene, Providence, R.I.

Sale Date: December 12, 2023

Auction Closed

Eleanor in Hugo Weber's studio

Harry Callahan

Eleanor in Hugo Weber's studio

Sale Date: December 12, 2023

Auction Closed

Providence, leaves

Harry Callahan

Providence, leaves

Sale Date: December 12, 2023

Auction Closed

English (US)

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