Karl Blossfeldt was born in 1865 in Schielo in the Hraz Mountains.
He died in 1932 in Berlin, Germany.

Known for:
Stark, rigorously composed, and highly detailed close-ups of botanical specimens.

Did you know ... ?
• His photographs were intended as guides for industrial designers and art students to demonstrate the structure and the beauty inherent in plant forms.
• Blossfeldt originially printed his photographs in a silver gelatin format, which was unsuccessful. Blossfeldt then turned his botanical studies into a book of photogravures,
"Urformen der Kunst" ("Forms of Nature").
• As a young man, he apprenticed in a metal foundry.

Quote:
"My botanical documents should contribute to restoring the link with nature. They should reawaken a sense of nature, point to its teeming richness of form, and prompt the viewer to observe for himself the surrounding plant world."

General Format:
8" x 10" photogravures from "Urformen der Kunst".
Silver gelatin photographs are rare.

How many photographs exist?
The first printing of the book "Urformen der Kunst" was 150 in 1928-1929.

Prices:
$100 - $12,500

How are the photographs printed and signed?
Blossfeldt's photogravures were not individually signed, though some signed copies of the book do exist.

Vintage:
The first edition photogravures are all vintage.

Technical Information:
The photogravure process was popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s. A descendent from the printmaking process of etching, photogravures utilize a copper plate. The result provides an almost velvety appearance to the image.

Portfolios:
None.

Books:
Urformen der Kunst - first edition, ranging from $9500 - $12,500.
Karl Blossfeldt - hardback, $39.99

Availability:
A Gallery has an excellent selection of Blossfeldt's original photogravures.

Authenticity is guaranteed. Prices and availability are subject to change without prior notice.

Email us for ordering information

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