Karl Blossfeldt

author · photographer

German^[1] b. 1865, Harz Mountains, Germany^[1] d. 1932, Berlin, Germany^[1,2] active 1890–1932

Karl Blossfeldt (1865–1932) was a German sculptor, architect, and photographer known for his pioneering botanical photography. After an apprenticeship in ironwork, he studied decorative arts in Rome and later became a professor of applied art at the Berliner Kunsthochschule. He developed a unique photographic style using custom magnifying lenses to capture the structural beauty of plants, which he viewed as 'archetypal forms' (Urformen). His work was deeply influenced by his background in sculpture and design, seeking to reveal the geometric patterns of nature that were often invisible to the naked eye. His most famous work, 'Urformen der Kunst' (1928), became an international bestseller and a key influence on the development of photographic typologies.^[1,2,3]

• botanical photography
• archetypal forms
• nature as art
• New Objectivity