Today we take a deeper dive into Herbert List (1903–1975), one of the photographers I briefly mentioned in Part 2 of my Weimar Republic posts.
The more time I spend with List’s work, the more he starts feeling like an important bridge figure between German modernism, queer visual culture, and mid-century physique photography in the U.S. List is cited as a major influence on the well-know modern photographer, Herb Ritts (1952-2002), which is obvious in images #1 and #11.
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Born in Hamburg, List came directly out of the same broader atmosphere surrounding the Weimar Republic — Bauhaus, surrealism, classical sculpture, youth movements, physical culture, and the complicated relationship Germany had with the idealized male body between the wars.
Like George Hoyningen-Huene and later George Platt Lynes, List brought a polished, carefully staged, highly technical eye to male photography, but what really catches me is the softer feeling underneath it all.
His young men don’t just look athletic or beautiful — they look dreamy, intimate, relaxed with one another, almost like they’re living inside some sun-soaked Mediterranean fantasy world where beautiful male friendship is the natural order of things.
You can also feel echoes here of earlier photographers like Wilhelm von Gloeden and Guglielmo Plüschow with all the outdoor settings, ruins, pairings of young men, classical poses, and fascination with youth and beauty.
List was also influenced by Swiss sculptor and photographer Karl Geiser, another artist drawn to the adolescent male figure.
Looking back now, it becomes pretty easy to see how photographers like List helped build the visual bridge between European modernist art photography and the polished homoerotic physique imagery that exploded later in the U.S. through figures like Lynes, Bruce Bellas, and Bob Mizer.
Thoughts?
Please help ID any of these models as majority are not included in credits. Also, would love to hear your thoughts about List's work. He has a fascinating life surrounded by fashion and art icons from the 20th century.
His style of photography is so modern looking, it’s hard to believe these were taken almost a century ago. The showering boys is my favorite. 😍
ReplyDeleteI hear you. I find his work timeless. Interesting you like the showering boys...those kinds of shots reflect one of his inspirations, Karl Geiser, the Swiss sculptor. You might want to check him out too.
DeleteThe themes that reveal a photo of the actual photographer are really interesting. Love how you are approaching this blog!
ReplyDelete