Moonlight: The Pond

Edward Steichen was one of the most influential figures in photography's history. He enjoyed several distinct careers in his long engagement with the medium. He came to attention in the late 1890s for moody landscapes, such as this photograph, inspired by Symbolist and Post-Impressionist art. These works emphasize suggestion rather than description: the world is seen in elemental form, as if in a dream. He later became the leading advertising, fashion and portrait photographer of the 1920s and 1930s. Steichen's career concluded with his influential tenure as curator of photography at the Museum of Modern Art from 1947 to 1962. Brilliant, original and full of ideas, Steichen remained at the forefront of creative thought in photography for more than 60 years.