Landscapes ─ Photographs 1926-1946

In 1975, German readers were introduced to the Rheinlandschaften, a collection of stunning images of the Rhineland captured in the first half of the twentieth century by photographer August Sander (1876–1964). This fresh edition, now in English, brings Sander’s work to a new audience and into our own time.

These photographs showcase a variety of scenes, from a sunrise over Cologne to the slopes of the Rhine valley. The Rhine River flows through many of these pictures, its dynamic curves and lively current leading the eye through an intriguing mix of natural and urban landscapes. A new essay by art historian Wolfgang Kemp provides context for Sander’s work while introducing his contemporaries, including the writer Hans Ludwig Mathar and the painter Franz M. Jansen. Also explored are the ties between Sander’s landscapes and his portrait photography, which is celebrated worldwide. Crucially, Kemp highlights the need to consider the Rhineland’s unique political situation in the 1920s and 1930s for any discussion of Sander’s artistic approach.

Shining welcome light on the full range of Sander’s practice, this book offers a glorious journey through the landscapes that most affected him.

August Sander (1876–1964) was a German photographer. His publications include Antlitz der Zeit: Sechzig Aufnahmen deutscher Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts, now considered a classic work of German portrait photography. Wolfgang Kemp is an art historian. Since 2011, he has been visiting professor of art history at the Leuphana University of Luneburg. Rose Rittenhouse, who holds a PhD in German from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, is a promotions manager at the University of Chicago Press.