This lecture by Jennifer Gross will review the dynamic life and work of Edward Steichen (1879-1973), who was known for his role in expanding the breadth of twentieth-century photography through the memorable images he created.  Steichen was at turns a painter, horticulturist, museum curator, graphic designer, publisher and film director.  He served as a military photographer in both World Wars, and lived a life that reflected a century transformed by modernization.  From his early Pictorialist images with their painterly qualities, to his decades-long work as a commercial photographer for Condé Nast, to his role as Director of Photography at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Steichen's endeavors positioned him as a controversial yet prescient advocate for photography's ability to record and amplify human observation, endeavor, and creativity.

This lecture is grounded in the exhibition of the same name that took place October 7, 2016 through March 26, 2017 organized by Jennifer Gross at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln, Massachusetts.