The Metropolitan Museum of Art has opened "Lillian Bassman: Bazaar and Beyond," an exhibition on view through July 26 that examines the career of photographer Lillian Bassman. Curated by Virginia McBride, the show highlights Bassman's work at Harper's Bazaar and Junior Bazaar, as well as her independent photography known for radical darkroom manipulations. The exhibition was made possible by a gift of 70 works from Bassman's estate, produced in collaboration with her children Lizzie and Eric Himmel, and marks a homecoming for the artist who drew inspiration from the Met's galleries.
This exhibition matters because it finally gives due recognition to Bassman, an avant-garde photographer who helped transform American magazine design under art director Alexey Brodovitch at Harper's Bazaar. Bassman's innovative approach to fashion photography and graphic layout broke traditional boundaries, influencing the visual language of print media. The show also underscores the Met's role in shaping artistic vision, as Bassman credited her education at the museum for training her eye as a photographer, bridging the worlds of fine art and commercial fashion photography.