From the page: “Edward Steichen (March 27, 1879-March 25, 1973) was an American photographer, painter, and art gallery and museum curator, born in Luxembourg. His family moved to the United States in 1881 and he became a naturalized citizen in 1900. In 1905, Steichen helped create the Little Galleries of the Photo-Secession.”
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Originally a painter, he studied under Richard Lorenz and Robert Schade. For a while he did both, considering painting the superior medium for artistic expression, however in 1923 he quit painting alogether and burned all of his paintings that were still in his possession (possibly with shouts of Finé!!, Enough!!!, and even Sacre Bleu!!… I like to think there was disheveled hair and wild hand waving as well).
Which was kinda a cool thing to do in a rather over the top way 😀
Of course that was also the same year he became head photographer (as in main, not he just took photos of heads!) at condé-nast, where he worked especially with Vanity Fair and Vogue. So he was probably raking it in and hence, one would think, not to bereft about the painting thing.
Was also co-founder of 291 and responsible for the famous “Family of Man” Exhibition, and here’s another one – although rather a rarified one as you have to be a millionaire to enter, Leica’s costing round about that very same amount of your earth money (*grumble*)
