André Kertész

André Kertész (1894–1985) was one of the 20th century’s leading photographers, known for his innovative compositions, pioneering contributions to the photo essay and keen eye for capturing the poetry of modern urban life. Through his lens, Kertész wanted ‘to give meaning to everything, to make photographs as by reflection in a mirror, unmanipulated and direct as in life.’

Born Kertész Andor in Budapest, in 1894, Kertész became enamoured with photography through the captivating images he saw in illustrated magazines. In 1912 he got his first camera and began taking pictures of local peasants and surroundings in the Hungarian Plains. His early interest in chronicling everyday life and the people within it would persist throughout his career.

Kertész moved to Paris in 1925, where he became a prominent photojournalist as an early proponent of the compact 35 mm format camera. Kertész was an active member of the vibrant Parisian artistic community of the time, befriending artists such as Piet Mondrian, Marc Chagall, Alexander Calder and Constantin Brâncuşi, who had also become his photographic subjects. During this period, he produced some of his most iconic images, including Satiric Dancer (1926) which sold at Christie’s New York in 2024 for US$567,000, establishing a world auction record for the artist.

Kertész’s fascination with visual distortion led his to creating his famous ‘Distortions’ series of nudes in 1933. He used warped, funhouse mirrors to create surreal, elongated human forms. This experimentation was groundbreaking and set him apart as an innovator in photography.

In 1936, Kertész moved to the United States, eventually settling in New York. Drawing inspiration from his new surroundings and reflecting on his personal history, having lived through two wars, his work during this period the fleeting moments of life in the city, while subtly feeding his enduring curiosity about the human condition.

André Kertész received the title of Chevalier of the French Legion of Honour in 1983, just a year before his death at the age of 91. Today Kertész is regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century photography, his work influencing generations of photographers that follow.


ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894–1985)

Satiric Dancer, 1926

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

Satiric Dancer, Paris, 1926

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

Cello Study, 1926

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

Child kicking ball, c.1930

ANDRE KERTESZ (1894-1985)

Tour Eiffel , 1925

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

Shadows of the Eiffel Tower, before May 1929

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

Clock of the Académie Française, 1929

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

Paul Arma's Hands, 1928

ANDRE KERTESZ (1894-1985)

Vert-Galant en hiver, 1929

Andre Kertesz (1894-1985)

Alone, Paris, 1930

ANDRE KERTESZ (1894-1985)

Distorsion no.172, 1933

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

Au Bon Coin, 1929

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

Le Mur de l'École Militaire, 1926

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

Au Bon Coin, 1929

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

Violin study, c.1930

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

'Photographs, Volume II, 1930-1972'

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

Two dolls on bed, before July 1933

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

André Kertész

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

Chez Mondrian, 1926

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

Still-life with 'Ce temps-ci: Cahiers d'art contemporain', 1928-30

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894–1985)

Washington Square at Night, 1954

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894–1985)

Washington Square, Winter, 1954

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

'Photographs, Volume I, 1913-1929'

André Kertész (1894-1985)

Distortion #6, Paris, 1933

André Kertész (1894–1985)

Avenue de L'Opera, 1929

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

A Hungarian Memory

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

Distortion Portrait, Paris, 1927

ANDRE KERTESZ (1894-1985)

Bouteille et verre sur plateau, Cliquot Club Sec

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

Melancholic Tulip, 1939

André Kertész (1894-1985)

Downtown from the Empire State Building, c. 1940

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894–1985)

Chair and Horn, Paris, 1935

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

Paris, September 1930

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

' A Hungarian Memory '

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894–1985)

Satiric Dancer, Paris, 1926

André Kertész (1894-1985)

Chez Mondrian, 1926

André Kertész (1894-1985)

Washington Square Park, 1954

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

Macdougal Alley, New York, 1961

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

Washington Square, 1954

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

Noémi Ferenczy, Paris, 1926

André Kertész (1894-1985)

Distortion #49, 1933

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

Martinique, January, 1972

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894–1985)

Portrait of Woman and Bird, c. 1927

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894–1985)

Distortion #80, 1933

André Kertész (1894-1985)

Washington Square at night, 1954

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

Martinique, 1972

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

Washington Square, January 9, 1954

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

Chez Mondrian, 1926

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894-1985)

Martinique, January 1, 1972

ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (1894–1985)

Underwater Swimmer, Esztergom, Hungary, 1917