Thomas Struth Geldern, Germany, b. 1954
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Photo by Rineke Dijkstra, Courtesy of Schirmer/Mosel -
Thomas Struth is renowned for his significant contributions to contemporary photography.
B. 1954, Geldern, Germany
Lives and works in Berlin, GermanyTrained at the prestigious Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, he studied under Gerhard Richter and Bernd and Hilla Becher. Initially focused on painting, Struth switched to photography in 1976, quickly garnering attention for his striking cityscapes and intimate portraits.
Struth’s early work, predominantly in black and white, captures vast urban landscapes devoid of human presence, creating a sense of stillness amid the hustle of cities. His iconic cityscape series, including views of Düsseldorf, Berlin, and New York, showcase architectural facades with meticulous detail, evoking the spirit of 19th-century photographers like Eugène Atget. These images, devoid of the usual urban noise, prompt reflection on the nature of public spaces and human absence within them.
In the 1980s, Struth expanded his approach, turning to color photography and delving into themes of family and identity. During this time, his fascination with art history led to the creation of his renowned “Museum Photographs” series. These large-format color images depict museum-goers absorbed in iconic works of art, subtly commenting on the rituals of art appreciation and the cultural role of museums as both custodians and purveyors of cultural capital.
Struth’s body of work also spans natural landscapes, from dense jungles to vast deserts and ancient forests, where he brings the same level of detail to his compositions. His “Paradise” series, showcasing almost impenetrable landscapes from around the world, portrays nature as an intricate web of forms, highlighting both its beauty and complexity.
Struth’s work has been featured in numerous exhibitions at prestigious institutions worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), Kunsthalle Bern, Museo del Prado (Madrid), and Kunsthaus Zürich. His photographs are part of major collections, including those of the Tate, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Centre Pompidou, and 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art.
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WorksOpen a larger version of the following image in a popup:
Installation view 'Thomas Struth. Making Time' Galerie Max Hetzler. Berlin-Mitte, 24 March – 21 April 2007
Thomas Struth Geldern, Germany, b. 1954
Museo Del Prado 2, 2005C-Print142 x 178,7 cm.
(180 x 214,7 cm, framed)
50,9 x 70,3 in.
(70,8 x 84,5 in. framed)Edition 2 of 10Further images
Thomas Struth’s Museum Photographs series examines the complex relationship between art, its audience, and the museum as an institution. His works serve both as an homage to the enduring power...Thomas Struth’s Museum Photographs series examines the complex relationship between art, its audience, and the museum as an institution. His works serve both as an homage to the enduring power of masterpieces and as a critical reflection on their contemporary reception. Struth merges photography, art history, and appropriation, transforming the museum space into an independent artistic investigation.
In Museo del Prado (2005), Struth captures visitors standing before Velázquez’s Las Meninas, one of the most analyzed paintings in Western art. The image is both a study of spectatorship and a conceptual dialogue on the act of viewing itself. Resonating with the methodical precision of Bernd and Hilla Becher and the staged accuracy of Gregory Crewdson and Candida Höfer, the photograph reframes the museum experience as a moment of contemplation, questioning how audiences navigate the tension between historical significance and personal encounter.
“The idea behind the museum photographs was to retrieve masterpieces from the fate of fame, to recover them from their status as iconic paintings, to remind us that these were works which were created in a contemporary moment, by artists who had everyday lives. In essence, I wanted to bring together the time of the picture and the time of the viewer.” – Thomas Struth
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