Max Waldman is a pre-eminent American photographer whose primary subject throughout his career has been the dance. Today is he is widely recognised as one of the masters of ‘theatrical’ photography. Waldman began photography in the mid 1930s and was considered a highly respected commercial photographer by the end of the 1940s. Working in New York, Waldman’s aesthetic, even early in his career was strongly influenced by both classical painting (Caravaggio and Rembrandt in particular) as well as cinema. His commercial work focused on industry, fashion and advertising.

In the mid 60s, Waldman gave up commercial work in order to focus on artistic photography. It is from this period that his theatrical and ballet images gained him critical reception and acclaim, leading to participation in exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art, New York among others. He developed a distinctive approach to photographing bodies in motion which gave movement a pronounced sculptural quality. The 1971 book ‘Waldman on theatre’ featured many images that have since become classics of the genre.

The fashion photograph included in Lusadaran’s collection dates from the 1950s. It’s exceptional control of shadows and half light as well as the dramatic composition and charged atmosphere are hallmarks of Waldman’s aesthetic.