Saul Leiter

Saul Leiter was an American painter and photographer, one of the first to work in color photography. Born in Pittsburgh, Leiter began studying at a rabbinical school in Cleveland, but soon changed course, moving to New York at age twenty-three to pursue a painting career. In New York, he befriended a number of fellow artists who inspired him to experiment in photography. Leiter worked for fashion magazines including Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, all the while taking personal photographs that transmuted the bustling urban environment of Manhattan into quiet meditations on color and form. His work has recently enjoyed renewed popularity with the publication of a monograph in 2006, as well as an award-winning 2012 documentary.