Lisette Model Austrian-born American photographer Date of Birth: 10.11.1901 Country: USA

1. Biography of Lisette Model
2. Early Life
3. Musical Ambitions and Artistic Interests
4. Photography Career and Legacy
5. Style and Approach
6. Recognition and Personal Life

Biography of Lisette Model

Lisette Model, an American photographer of Austrian origin, is a renowned photographer who is considered unjustly forgotten. She is mostly known as the mentor of another talented female photographer, Diane Arbus.

Early Life

Elise Amelie Felicie Stern was born in 1901 in Vienna, Austria-Hungary. Her father, an Austrian-Italian military doctor with Jewish roots, and her mother, a French Catholic, changed the family surname to Seybert two years after Lisette's birth. Lisette received an excellent education, studying with private tutors and speaking fluently in three languages.

However, according to her brother's statement, Lisette experienced abuse from her father during her childhood, although this information cannot be officially confirmed or denied. After her father's death, the family moved to France, her mother's homeland.

Musical Ambitions and Artistic Interests

At the age of 19, Lisette started pursuing music under the guidance of renowned composer Arnold Schoenberg. She later became part of his circle, stating that he had a significant influence on her life. In 1924, Lisette traveled to Paris with plans to study vocal art. She was mentored by Polish soprano Maria Freund and it was during this period that she met her future husband, French-Jewish artist Evsa Model.

Although her musical ambitions did not materialize into a profession, Lisette's interest in the visual arts grew, particularly in painting. She began taking lessons from the well-known artist Andre Lhote and made attempts at creating her own paintings. Henri Cartier-Bresson and George Hoyningen-Huene, who became famous artists in their own right, were also students of Lhote during this time.

In the 1930s, Lisette started taking photography lessons and began capturing her own images in 1934 with the guidance of her sister Olga, who was also a photographer.

Photography Career and Legacy

Lisette Model worked as a street photographer, a popular style during that era. However, many experts believe that she had a distinctly individualized style compared to her contemporaries. She was later recognized for her rare ability to "photograph with the soul."

In 1938, Lisette and her husband traveled to New York City to stay with relatives. Due to the events unfolding in Europe, they decided to remain in America. As a result, Lisette's work permanently shifted towards capturing American streets, and the majority of her photographs from 1939 to 1949 featured urban scenes.

Her images were widely published, and in 1950, she began teaching photography at Columbia University. Her students included renowned photographers Diane Arbus and Larry Fink. Lisette continued teaching until her death, with her teaching career somewhat overshadowing her own photographic work.

However, several researchers consider Lisette Model as one of the most significant photographers of her time, placing her name among the most important in the field of photography.

Style and Approach

Lisette Model herself could never define the genre of her work and often started her explanations with negations. Throughout her life, she followed the advice to photograph only what truly captivated her. Many of the people in her photographs were not conventionally beautiful, and her images often had a downward perspective, with most of her subjects appearing lonely.

Although her subjects may have been described as "lonely and unattractive," many of Lisette's photographs were considered masterpieces of the art form.

Recognition and Personal Life

Starting in the 1940s, Lisette's exhibitions were held in numerous major American museums. However, she never achieved widespread fame in the broader sense.

Remarkably, Lisette never took or left behind a self-portrait. She once admitted that she never felt the desire to capture her own image.

Lisette Model passed away on March 30, 1983. Her legacy lives on through her impactful photography and her profound influence on future generations of artists.