by Andrea Rosen, Curator of Under the Surface.
In Meudon, the dissimilarity between the viaduct, the construction at its base, and the dilapidated rowhouses is as unsettling as the man furtively walking towards the viewer with a large package under his arm. Visually tying it all together is the train steaming overhead into the scene. To capture this fleeting image, Kertész relied on his new Leica, a portable camera that allowed him to act quickly when he encountered marvelous tableaus as he wandered the streets.
Image details:
André Kertész (Hungarian, 1894–1985)
Meudon, 1928
gelatin silver print
Museum Purchase, Lloyd O. and Marjorie Strong Coulter Fund 1984.1
© Estate of André Kertész, courtesy of Bruce Silverstein Gallery, NY