Artists

Bill Brandt was a pivotal British photographer whose work shaped 20th-century photography. Born in Hamburg in 1904 to an English father and German mother, Brandt travelled to Vienna in 1927 for medical treatment but stayed on to work in a photography studio. There, he met poet Ezra Pound, who introduced him to photographer Man Ray. In 1929, Brandt apprenticed at Man Ray’s studio in Paris, absorbing influences from André Kertész, Eugène Atget, and the Surrealists. Moving to London in 1931, Brandt became adept in photographic modernism.

Throughout the 1930s, Brandt gained recognition with significant works like "The English at Home" (1932) and "A Night in London" (1932). His early work, often featured in Picture Post and Lilliput, captured the stark realities of British life during the 1930s and World War II, including haunting images of air-raid shelters and bombed streets. Post-war, Brandt explored the female nude, using wide-angle lenses to create abstract forms. His innovative approach and technical skill left a lasting impact on portraiture, landscape, and nude photography.

Brandt’s work can be found in important collections such as the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Yale Centre for British Art in New Haven, Connecticut.