Lisette Model

Lisette Model was born on November 10, 1901, in Vienna, Austria, and died on March 30, 1983, in New York, United States, at the age of 81.

«  Obsessed with the Face of Humanity  ", Lisette Model explores the human condition by focusing on those excluded by society. 

A native of Vienna, she began her career as a photographer in France around 1933 with the support of Rogi André and Florence Henri. In 1938, she fled the anti-Semitic climate and moved to New York, where she lived until the end of her life. 

Her candid and uncompromising approach to the subject—which ran counter to the French humanist tradition of photography—quickly gained recognition in the United States. A member of the Photo League and a friend of photographer Berenice Abbott, she worked for magazines and exhibited regularly at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). The instant camera suited her resolutely intuitive approach, which was accentuated by unusual perspectives—close-ups, low-angle shots, and off-frame shots—and the use of a flash. 

Lisette Model does not hesitate to manipulate the negatives for her prints, which often have a pronounced grain. Cropping, tilting, or retouching to eliminate superfluous details accentuate her voluminous silhouettes and the dramatic effects of her scenes of New York city life.