Robert Frank

(American/Swiss, 1924–2019)

Robert Frank is a Swiss-born American filmmaker and photographer. Characterized by their pointed and complex critique of American culture and society, his images often capture people in the throes of daily life. “There is one thing the photograph must contain, the humanity of the moment,” he once explained. “This kind of photography is realism. But realism is not enough—there has to be vision, and the two together can make a good photograph.” Born on November 9, 1924 in Zürich, Switzerland, he began studying photography in 1941, and subsequently worked for commercial studios around Switzerland over the next 6 years. In 1947, Frank emigrated to the United States where he was hired by Alexey Brodovitch to produce fashion photos for Harper’s Bazaar. Over the next five years, he produced work for a number of other publications such as LIFE and Vogue. With the aid of his colleague and mentor, Walker Evans, Frank was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship. During his fellowship, he traveled throughout the United States, documenting the wide spectrum of its populace. This journey would form the backbone of his work thereafter, leading to the seminal photobook The Americans(1958). Frank subsequently had solo exhibitions at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1961 and The Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1962. Since 1970, the artist has split his time between New York, NY and Nova Scotia, Canada. Today, his photographs are held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Kunsthaus Zürich, among others.

Robert Frank News

Reviews

How One of the Greatest Photographers Turned Against Photography

by Ben Davis
How One of the Greatest Photographers Turned Against Photography
Auctions

Is the Photography Market Sleepy—Or Just Getting Started? Here Are 3 Trends Investment-Minded Collectors Should Know

by Tim Schneider
Is the Photography Market Sleepy—Or Just Getting Started? Here Are 3 Trends Investment-Minded Collectors Should Know
On View

In 1983, Four Major Photographers Worked Together on a Historic Project That Never Saw the Light of Day—Until Now

by Taylor Dafoe
In 1983, Four Major Photographers Worked Together on a Historic Project That Never Saw the Light of Day—Until Now

Robert Frank Artworks

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

Robert Frank (2,119 results)
Tompkins Square Park (Tom Waits), 1985

Robert Frank

Tompkins Square Park (Tom Waits), 1985

Sale Date: November 2, 2016

Auction Closed

PARIS, 1949

Robert Frank

PARIS, 1949

Sale Date: November 10, 2016

Auction Closed

MILES SHOES, 1949

Robert Frank

MILES SHOES, 1949

Sale Date: November 10, 2016

Auction Closed

NEW MEXICO, 1955

Robert Frank

NEW MEXICO, 1955

Sale Date: November 10, 2016

Auction Closed

CANDY STORE, UPPER WEST SIDE, NEW YORK, 1955

Robert Frank

CANDY STORE, UPPER WEST SIDE, NEW YORK, 1955

Sale Date: November 10, 2016

Auction Closed

LANDER, WYOMING, 1955

Robert Frank

LANDER, WYOMING, 1955

Sale Date: November 11, 2016

Auction Closed

Flower Is

Robert Frank

Flower Is

Sale Date: October 25, 2016

Auction Closed

Portrait of June Leaf, 1955

Robert Frank

Portrait of June Leaf, 1955

Sale Date: October 25, 2016

Auction Closed

THE LINES OF MY HAND’, Yugensha/Kazuhiko..., 1972

Robert Frank

THE LINES OF MY HAND’, Yugensha/Kazuhiko..., 1972

Sale Date: November 18, 2016

Auction Closed

The Americans

Robert Frank

The Americans

Sale Date: October 25, 2016

Auction Closed

Detroit (drugstore), 1955

Robert Frank

Detroit (drugstore), 1955

Sale Date: October 25, 2016

Auction Closed

Political Rally, Chicago, 1956

Robert Frank

Political Rally, Chicago, 1956

Sale Date: October 25, 2016

Auction Closed

Bar, Gallup, New Mexico, 1956

Robert Frank

Bar, Gallup, New Mexico, 1956

Sale Date: October 25, 2016

Auction Closed

Tulip/Paris, 1950

Robert Frank

Tulip/Paris, 1950

Sale Date: October 25, 2016

Auction Closed

MABOU, 1982

Robert Frank

MABOU, 1982

Sale Date: October 7, 2016

Auction Closed

DETROIT, 1955

Robert Frank

DETROIT, 1955

Sale Date: October 7, 2016

Auction Closed

GARDEN PARTY NYC' (MUSEUM OF MODERN ART), 1955

Robert Frank

GARDEN PARTY NYC' (MUSEUM OF MODERN ART), 1955

Sale Date: October 7, 2016

Auction Closed

JACK KEROUAC, 1961

Robert Frank

JACK KEROUAC, 1961

Sale Date: October 7, 2016

Auction Closed

ANDREA AND PABLO (WATCHING TELEVISION), 1955–1956

Robert Frank

ANDREA AND PABLO (WATCHING TELEVISION), 1955–1956

Sale Date: October 7, 2016

Auction Closed

DAYTONA, 1961

Robert Frank

DAYTONA, 1961

Sale Date: October 7, 2016

Auction Closed

LONDON' (NEAR VICTORIA STATION, STREET..., 1950

Robert Frank

LONDON' (NEAR VICTORIA STATION, STREET..., 1950

Sale Date: October 7, 2016

Auction Closed

PARIS' (BASTILLE METRO), 1950

Robert Frank

PARIS' (BASTILLE METRO), 1950

Sale Date: October 7, 2016

Auction Closed

PARIS, 1949

Robert Frank

PARIS, 1949

Sale Date: October 7, 2016

Auction Closed

City Fathers, Hoboken, New Jersey, 1955–1956

Robert Frank

City Fathers, Hoboken, New Jersey, 1955–1956

Sale Date: October 5, 2016

Auction Closed

English (US)

©2024 Artnet Worldwide Corporation. All rights reserved.