August Sander

August Sander

Born 1876 in Germany. He spent 7 years as a miner, he undertook his role of compulsory active 

Military service until 1899. Sander went on to study painting in Dresden from 1901 to 1902 and it is here he developed his interest in art and photography. In 1904 he opened his own photographic studio August Sander für Kunstphotographie und Malerei, he sold this studio and returned to Cologne. and in 1910 he founded his own studio in Lindenthal. At the opening of his studio in Lindenthal Sander created a brochure and in this he states:

"I am not concerned with providing commonplace photographs like those made in the finer large-scale studios of the city, but simple, natural portraits that show the subjects in an environment corresponding to their own individuality, portraits that claim the right to be evaluated as works of art and to be used as wall adornments" (Cited in: George Steeves, 2013, August Sander: Objective Romantic, (Halifax, NS, Canada: Mount St. Vincent Art Gallery) [Exhibition catalogue, September 7 - October 20, 2013], p. 11)

In 1910 Sander started which was to be his most famous body of work "Menschen des 20, Jahrhunderts" The theme started when Sander had been producing photographic portraits of the Westerwald Farmers, Sander saw in these farmers his ideal of the archetypal contemporary man. "Building on this, Sander developed a philosophy that placed man within a cyclic model of society."  (Reinhold Misselbeck From Grove Art Online © 2009 Oxford University Press).

So the peasant class was the basis of society, sander then moved on up through the classes, skilled workers, civic life, lawyers, soldiers, bankers the list goes on finishing with the insane, gypsies and beggars.

"... his Citizens of the Twentieth Century, remains one of the most sustained attempts to define individuals within their time and culture. sanders subjects are above all social beings" - (Clarke, 1997, p.113)

August Sander. The Man of the Soil. 1910

Farming Family, 1912

Farmer and Wife 1912

It was important to Sander to match the sitter with the correct setting, even down to the smallest detail “Nothing is more hateful to me than photography sugar-coated with gimmicks, poses and false effects" wrote August sander 1927. 

Sander never got to publish his full body of work in his lifetime, he did publish some in the publication of "Face of Our time" 60 portraits published in 1929, so the principles surrounding his work could be viewed by the public. Eventually after Sanders death his son Gunther went through his father’s archive of over 540 photographs and published them "Menschen des 20, Jahrhunderts.The People of the 20th century), in 1980.

Viennese Jockey 1929

Bohemians 1925

Bricklayer 1928