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The Dance Eickemeyer, Rudolf  (American, 1862-1932)

Like the pioneering art photographer Alfred Stieglitz, Eickemeyer was internationally recognized as a talented Pictorialist at the turn of the twentieth century. A lifelong resident of Yonkers, he took up photography full-time in 1895, and that year he and Stieglitz were simultaneously elected to the renowned society of art photographers the Linked Ring Brotherhood. At a time when cities were expanding and competitive commerce was booming, Eickemeyer responded to American middle class anxieties regarding change by providing serenity and solace in the form of soothing bodies of water and country trails covered in snow. His landscapes speak to a desire to return to nature, demonstrating the deep nostalgia for country life felt by the urban masses. Perhaps best known for his portraits of Evelyn Nesbit, Eickemeyer spent a portion of his career photographing high society women. As a testament to his belief that art is for everyone, he donated most of his work to the Smithsonian, along with an endowment for the maintenance of his gift and to develop the Museum’s photographic collection. [1]

Reproduced / Exhibited

Hartmann, Sadakichi. Landscape and Figure Composition. New York: The Baker and Taylor Company, 1910. fig. 138

References

(Carolyn Ureña) Eickemeyer Smithsonian National Museum of American History http://blog.americanhistory.si.edu/osaycanyousee/2010/09/rudolf-eickemeyer-jr-american-photographer-and-amateurs-advocate.html