Ruth Bernhard (American, 1905-2006)
Pigeons, San Francisco, 1956
Gelatin silver print, printed later, signed in pencil on the mount, framed.
7 1/2 x 13 1/4in. (10 x 34cm)
19 x 23in. (58 x 49cm/frame)

Most of Bernhard's work is studio-based, black and white, ranging from simple still lifes to complex nudes. She also is known for her lesbian themed works, most notably Two Forms (1962). In that work, a black woman and a white woman who were real-life lovers.
Bernhard was inducted into the Women's Caucus for Art in 1981. Bernhard was hailed by Ansel Adams as the greatest photographer of the nude.

Her work is in the collections of:
Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago
Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA), San Diego
Portland Museum of Art
San Jose Museum of Art
Minneapolis Institute of Art
International Photography Hall of Fame, St.Louis
Detailed condition reports are not included in this catalog. For a detailed condition report or to request additional images, please email the gallery directly at auctions@finesf.com. Condition report requests received after 5pm the day before the sale are not guaranteed. Shipping is not included. Please bid accordingly, as all sales are final, no returns are accepted on basis of condition.