Portrait of Two Young Men

Initially trained as a painter at the Royal Academy of Fine Art in Munich, Frank Eugene began incorporating photographs as preliminary studies around 1894 to assist in the execution of his portraits. As his interest in photography flourished, he often manipulated his negatives by paint or etching. His work caught the attention of Alfred Stieglitz, who gave him his first solo exhibition, devoted an issue of Camera Notes to his work, and invited him to join the Photo-Secession, a group of photographers striving for recognition in the fine arts. Though the identity of the subjects in this photograph and the exact nature of their (seemingly intimate) relationship are unknown, it is likely that the models are seated in Eugene’s studio. The chiaroscuro effect and Eugene’s rich, matte platinum print illustrate the Pictorialist aesthetic prized by the members of the Photo-Secession.