Minor White

From 24 September to 10 January 2027, the Recoletos Hall at the MAPFRE Foundation will be hosting the first retrospective organised in Europe on the work of Minor White, a key figure in 20th century American photography.

Curated by  Carlos Gollonet (Chief Curator of Photography at the Mapfre Foundation), with the assistance of Lucía de Lucas (Mapfre Foundation ), this exhibition offers an overview of the photographer’s work, with his most representative themes (nature photography, portraiture and street photography) paying special attention to his work in sequences, which he used to present in portfolio format.

Some of the works in the exhibition will be on display for the first time ever in Europe, along with a selection of documents, such as contact sheets, books and magazines, which enable a full vision of the dimension of Minor White to be created as an author, editor and curator.

Minor White’s work (Minneapolis, 1908-1976) is considered to be a key figure in 20th century American photography, thanks to his innovative photographic production and his important role as a teacher at prestigious institutions, such as the California School of Fine Arts, George Eastman House and the MIT. He also stands out for his editorial work as co-founder, editor and director of Aperture magazine.

Image Credit:

• Minor White. Barn and Clouds (Vicinity of Naples and Dansville, New York), from Sequence 10 / Rural Cathedrals. October 1955, The Minor White Archive, Princeton University Art Museum, legacy of Minor White. © Trustees of Princeton University. Photo: Allen Chen