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From the Radio Tower, Berlin

László Moholy-Nagy

Artwork Details

From the Radio Tower, Berlin
1928, printed circa 1941 - 1946
László Moholy-Nagy
gelatin silver print on paper
9 15/16 in x 7 ½ in (25.24 cm x 19.05 cm);18 in x 14 in (45.72 cm x 35.56 cm);9 15/16 in x 7 ½ in (25.24 cm x 19.05 cm)
Gift of Dr. Seymour and Barbara K. Adelson
2007/2.59

Tags

Description

Recent Acquisitions: Curators Choice Part I, November 12, 2011-March 18, 2012
László Moholy-Nagy
United States, born Hungary, 1895–1946
Radio Tower, Berlin
1928
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Dr. Seymour and Barbara Adelson, 2007/2.59

Subject Matter:

One of Moholy-Nagy's most iconic photographs, this image depicts the view seen straight down from the vertiginous, needle-shaped radio tower in Berlin—then the tallest structure in Germany. Moholy-Nagy's plunging view flattens the forms of the rectangular buildings and landscaped garden directly beneath the structure, which are covered in a light snowfall. The partial clearing of a path creates a fascinatingly ambiguous dark line that snakes across the lower left corner of the image to meet the diagonal strip of building that cuts across the upper margin of the image.

Physical Description:

Photograph looking straight down onto a built landscape.

Usage Rights:

If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.