Classic Torso with Hands

1952

Gelatin Silver Print

"Each time I make a photograph I celebrate the life I love and the beauty I know and the happiness I have experienced" Ruth Bernhard, 2000 Please join us in celebrating the life and work of one of this centuryÕs greatest living masters of photography. We have brought together a unique collection including both nudes and still lifes, which rank amongst the most profound and significant examples of this medium. Now in her 96th year, Ruth has been honoured with countless exhibitions in prestigious museums and galleries worldwide. Ruth Bernhard was born in Berlin in 1905, and studied at the Berlin Academy of Art. Moving to New York in 1927, she began a career in commercial photography. Almost a decade later, she met Edward Weston, whose compelling images convinced her that photography was indeed a creative medium. In 1953, Bernhard moved to San Francisco where she continues to live and pursue her many photographic interests. Bernhard is associated with the history of Northern California's wealth of eminent photographers, among them Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham, Dorothea Lange, and Minor White. In a career spanning more than seven decades, she has created an imposing body of work. Distinguished by their exquisite use of light, her images have been internationally recognized and acclaimed by her peers. Radiant still lifes and nude forms reflect her passionate search for the universal connection of all things. Bernhard's work has been exhibited and included in the permanent collections of major museums and universities in the United States, Europe, Japan, and Mexico, and has been published worldwide. Her latest publication is "Ruth Bernhard: Between Art & Life" by Margaretta K. Mitchell. Other publications include "Ruth Bernhard: The Eternal Body," 3rd edition, 1998, Chronicle Books, San Francisco, California, and "Ruth Bernhard: Gift of the Commonplace," 1996, Woodrose Publishing, Carmel Valley, California. All three books are available for purchase at the gallery. On December 18, 2006, Ruth Bernhard died in her home in San Francisco. She was 101 years old. To read her full obituary please go to www.SFGate.com