2 July 1894 – 28 September 1985, was a Hungarian-born photographer. Born in Budapest as Andor Kertész, he began photographing independently in 1912 while working in the stock exchange, developing his practice as a self-taught photographer. During the First World War he served in the army and produced early photographic work, some of which was later lost.

In 1925 he moved to Paris, where he became part of the avant-garde milieu and worked for illustrated magazines such as VU. During this period he developed a distinctive photographic language characterized by unusual viewpoints, formal clarity, and attention to everyday scenes. His work from Paris, including street photographs and still lifes, established him as a significant figure within modern photography.

In 1936 he emigrated to the United States, where he worked for magazines including Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. Although he initially relied on commissioned work, he gradually returned to more personal projects and achieved broader recognition later in his career. His practice is often understood through distinct periods—Hungarian, Parisian, and American—reflecting shifts in both geography and approach.

Kertész’s photographs, primarily in black and white, are known for their formal composition and for elevating everyday subjects into carefully structured images. Works such as his Paris street scenes and still lifes became widely reproduced, and his approach contributed to the development of modern photographic composition and the photo essay.

Reference
Biography text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), German edition. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/André_Kertész