Ruth Bernhard

During her lifetime, Ruth Bernhard shot almost exclusively in black-and-white, focusing on the sensuality of the human body, resulting in images that are charged with erotic power. In her silver gelatin print, Mother & Child, Joane (1963), a mother clutches her infant, lovingly cradling it to her. Their nude bodies, contours, and bare skin mirror one another, creating formal as well as emotional depth. Bernhard was born in Berlin and studied at the city’s Academy of Art before moving to the United States in 1927. She counted Margrethe Mather and Edward Weston among her colleagues and friends, and claimed the two photographers were responsible for showing her that the medium was capable of artistry. She also produced photographs for the Museum of Modern Art’s first exhibition catalogue.