A member of the “international set” in fin-de-siècle Europe, Baron Adolf de Meyer (1868–1946) was also a pioneering photographer, known for creating works that transformed reality into a beautiful fantasy. Quicksilver Brilliance, on view at the moment at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, is the first museum exhibition devoted to the artist in more than 20 years. Some 40 works, drawn entirely from The Met collection, demonstrate the impressive breadth of his career.
The exhibition includes dazzling portraits of well-known figures of his time: the American socialite Rita de Acosta Lydig; art patron and designer Count Étienne de Beaumont; aristocrat and society hostess Lady Ottoline Morrell; and celebrated entertainer Josephine Baker, among others. A highlight of the presentation is an exceptional book—one of only seven known copies—documenting polish dancer Vaslav Nijinsky’s scandalous 1912 ballet L’Après-midi d’un faune. This rare album represents de Meyer’s great success in capturing the movement and choreography of dance, a breakthrough in the history of photography. Also on view are the artist’s early snapshots made in Japan, experiments with color processes, and inventive fashion photographs.
Quicksilver Brilliance: Adolf de Meyer Photographs
December 4, 2017 to March 18, 2018
Metropolitan Museum
1000 5th Ave
New York, NY 10028
USA
