Frank Eugene

Born in New York, Frank Eugene spent most of his life in Germany, where he was an important figure in avant-garde photography and photographic education. He traveled to Germany for the first time in 1886 to attend the Bavarian Academy of Graphic Arts in Munich, and upon his return to New York in 1894, he studied photography and worked as a stage designer and portraitist. His strong painting background, combined with his expertise in etching and his affinity for Jugendstil, resulted in photographs with heavily manipulated surfaces and a hand-made sensibility. His Pictorialist works warranted his election to the Linked Ring Brotherhood in London in 1900 and recommended his work to Alfred Stieglitz, who in 1902 invited Eugene to be a founder-member of the Photo-Secession.

Adam and Eve, Camera Work photogravure, 1910, 7 x 5"
Adam and Eve, Camera Work photogravure, 1910, 7 x 5"
Rebecca, Camera Work photogravure, 1910, 6 ¾ x 4 ¾"
Rebecca, Camera Work photogravure, 1910, 6 ¾ x 4 ¾"