Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, inv. no. RP-F-2007-425
Anonymous, View on a wooden house or barn with a man and a woman in front, c. 1870-1875, Tintype, 164 x 215 mm
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam: »American Photography«
The Real America
From February 7, the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam will be presenting the first comprehensive exhibition of American photography in Europe. The majority of the exhibits come from the museum's collection. American Photography shows works by numerous art stars as well as anonymous and unknown photographers.
February 06, 2025
Over the past decades, the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam has built up a comprehensive collection of American photography. It is now being presented in an exhibition for the first time, with various loans from the USA and Europe complementing the show. American Photography is the first major exhibition on the subject in Europe and shows over 200 photographs in which the most diverse aspects of everyday life are explored. The clash between the idea of the American Dream and the American way of life with reality, the real American, and sometimes degrading living conditions is a central theme of the works. The exhibition runs from February 7 to June 9.
In addition to numerous interesting discoveries by anonymous and unknown photographers, works by famous representatives will also be on display, including Sally Mann, Robert Frank, Lisette Model, Nan Goldin, Richard Avedon, Andy Warhol, Paul Strand, Diane Arbus, Carrie Mae Weems and James Van Der Zee. Parallel to American Photography, the Rijksmuseum is also showing Carrie Mae Weems: Painting the Town, which was created in 2021 in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests. It is the first presentation of her work in the Netherlands.
On February 16, April 11 and May 25, there will be one-hour introductory courses on American photography and the structure of the exhibition starting at 2:30 pm.
Courtesy of the artist
Hulleah Tsinhnahjinnie (1954), ‘This is not a commercial, this is my homeland’, 1998, Platinum lambda print, 476 x 609 mm
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