American Photography

America is by far the most important and influential country in photography. Since its invention in 1839, photography has become deeply embedded in American society - no other country showcases the medium as widely, visibly or influentially. American Photography captures this connection through over 280 images, portraying American life through the lenses of renowned photographers such as Robert Frank, Andres Serrano, Nan Goldin, Andy Warhol, Diane Arbus, Dawoud Bey, Carleton Watkins and Paul Strand. But true to the best Rijksmuseum tradition, the book does not dutifully adhere to the classical canon. Instead, it also features many lesser-known images – ranging from early advertising photographs to photographs for private use - that are nonetheless stunning and surprisingly powerful, offering a fresh, renewed perspective on American photography.

This story of American photography is told through the Rijksmuseum’s outstanding collection, enriched by international loans from prestigious institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Philadelphia Museum of Art; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Art Institute of Chicago and National Gallery of Art, Washington.

Press
‘”American Photography” [...] returns again and again to a central tension between how America would like to see itself, and how it really looks.’ - the New York Times

‘”American Photography”: unforgettable images of the beauty and brutality of a nation - The Guardian

‘An 1840 selfie to 1960s advertising: Eight images that tell the story of America’ - BBC