Gerda Leo

photographer

b. 1 February 1909, Hagen, Westfalen, Germany^[1] d. 28 September 1993, Amsterdam, Netherlands^[1] active 1926–1932

Gerda Leo (1909–1993) was a German photographer associated with the 'Neues Sehen' (New Vision) and 'Neue Sachlichkeit' (New Objectivity) movements. She studied at the State Municipal School of Arts and Crafts Burg Giebichenstein in Halle, where she trained under Hans Finsler, who led the first photography class for objective photography at an arts and crafts school. Leo began her active career in 1926, focusing on nature, still lifes, landscapes, and portraits characterized by sharp contrasts, asymmetrical compositions, and atmospheric depth. Her work is noted for its intuitive grasp of formal elements like light-dark contrast and texture. In 1932, she moved to Amsterdam with her husband, Jacob d'Oliveira, where her active career as a photographer largely concluded, though she remained involved in family life and the Dutch resistance during World War II.^[1,2,3]

• Nature
• Still Life
• Landscape
• Portraiture
• New Objectivity
• Neues Sehen