600 - Ernst Haas* (Vienna 1921 - 1986 New York City)

Ernst Haas* (Vienna 1921 - 1986 New York City) On the Amalfi Coast, 1953 vintage gelatin silver print 20,5 x 30,2 cm verso stamps Ernst Haas MAGNUM SCHÄTZPREIS / ESTIMATE € 600 - 1400 STARTPREIS / STARTING PRICE € 600 Ernst Haas (1921–1986) was an Austrian-American photographer and a key pioneer of modern color photography. He gained international renown in 1951 with his photo essay on Austrian prisoners of war returning home; published in Life magazine, the work demonstrated his ability to combine documentary subjects with a distinctly poetic visual language. Haas joined Magnum Photos in 1953, where he developed a unique photographic style that bridged the gap between photojournalism, abstract composition, and color photography. His images were characterized by motion blur, reflections, unusual framing, and intense color contrasts. In addition to his reportage work, Haas photographed prominent figures such as Albert Einstein and Marilyn Monroe and contributed to international magazines like Life and Vogue. His work aligns with the tradition of humanist photography and the classic Magnum legacy established by figures such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, David Seymour, and George Rodger. While those photographers played a decisive role in shaping the documentary black-and-white photography of the post-war era, Haas expanded the scope of photojournalism by introducing a highly subjective and increasingly abstract use of color. His images of New York, Paris, Venice, and the American West demonstrate how color, motion, and light could themselves become defining elements of the composition. Haas thus occupies a pivotal position in the evolution of artistic color photography, uniting Magnum’s humanist documentary tradition with a modern, expressive, and formally experimental approach to imagery. PLEASE NOTE: The purchase price consists of the highest bid plus the buyer's premium, sales tax and, if applicable, the fee of artists resale rights and platform fee. In the case of normal taxation (marked ° at the estimate), a premium of 24% is added to the highest bid. The mandatory sales tax is added to the sum of the highest bid, the buyer's premium and platform fee. This amounts to 13% for paintings, drawings, graphic works and sculptures and 20% for photographs and all other items. The buyer's premium amounts to 28% in case of differential taxation. The sales tax is included in the differential taxation.