“I am completely tied up with softness, fragility, and the problems of a feminine world.”
~ Lillian Bassman (1917 - 2012)
Lillian was one of a kind. The charisma she carried and the closeness she fostered with each of her models was real and deeply felt. They welcomed her into a fragile, feminine world, where authentic gestures and expressions emerged with ease. Only she could make such images. She understood this, and with camera in hand, knew exactly when to release the shutter at the height of a moment. These platinum prints are a remarkable expression of her mastery: large, powerful, at times abstract, and always captivating. In platinum, her work takes on an added depth and permanence—the tonal range softens yet deepens, perfectly suited to the elegance and intimacy at the core of her vision.
The great Metropolitan Museum in New York is currently hosting Lillian Bassman’s extraordinary legacy through July 26, 2026. This is a glorious exhibition not to be missed! The MET is especially fitting as Lillian spent a large part of her early life wandering through its rooms, developing her eye for beauty, which she later incorporated into her own special art.
