AMSTERDAM.- On Tuesday 13 March 2007 Sotheby’s Amsterdam will offer in her annual sale of Photographs an unusual and large collection of works by the Czeck photographer Jan Saudek. No less than forty-two large prints of photographs from the 1970s up to the 1990s, from a European private collection, give a wonderful overview on the interesting oeuvre of this artist.

Jan Saudek - Inspired by Edward Steichen's exhibition "The Family of Man", Jan Saudek ( Prague , 1935) decided to become a photographer and portray his contemporaries. His photographs, first in black-and-white, later hand-coloured, are about sexuality and the relationships between man and woman, age and youth, clothes and nakedness. The people that he used as models were ordinary people. Some of his pictures explore dreams more than reality, although they are strongly rooted in the portrayed individuals.

The photographs in the collection now on offer vary from Saudek’s early, black and white images such as On the road from 1964 (40 by 30 cm, â‚1.500-2.000) to his later, hand coloured prints, such as New York New York from 1985.

The use of hand-colouring often produces a dreamlike, less realistic effect. One of the reasons for Saudek to experiment with this technique was the difficulty to obtain colour film in communist Czechoslovakia . Saudek often antedates his images to the 19th century, an artistic liberty that is characteristic for his work. In de 1970 he discovers the ‘decaying cellar wall', which is to become a synonym of his artistic work.

Saudek’s pictures are about life; sometimes pathetic, sometimes a little rude, sometimes humoristic. In his ‘theatre of life’ he focuses on the basic relationships of members of the family. He depicts the problems of childhood and adolescence as tormenting phantoms. His work seems a quest for love, liberty and emotional reassurance.

Other photographers

The sale offers works by a choice of international artists including Edward Steichen (a series of fashion photographs for Vogue), Robert Doisneau (Un regard oblique), Gregory Crewdson, Megumi Keisuke, Helmut Newton (Cyberwomen), Bill Brandt, André Kertesz (Chez Mondrian), Andres Serrano (Mother and child), Martin Parr (Common Sense), Candida Hofer, Stephen Shore and William Wegman.

Desiree Dolron (b.1963) is represented with the series ‘Silence of the eye’ from 1995, comprising seven cibachrome prints, all signed, titled and dated on the reverse (€10.000-15.000). A second series by Dolron is ‘Religion and Death’, a portfolio of 14 prints from 1993 in an edition of 5 (€4.000-6.000)

Inez van Lamsweerde is represented with a colour print of 50 by 50cm on perspex entitled Rebecca 90-61-93 (1993, €4,000-6,000). The sale offers works by Ed van der Elsken, Eva Besny, Johan van de Keuken (Ben Webster, Bettie), Bettina Rheims, Erwin Olaf (the series ‘Mature’ - portraits of diva’s) and Gerard Fieret.