Edward Steichen’s $1m Balzac Leads Photography Masterworks Auction

Sotheby’s is to hold a series of auctions showcasing the significant private Jill and Marshall Rose Collection of 20th century American and European modernist photography.

Formed principally during the 1980s by Jill Kupin Rose and Marshall Rose, the collection features Edward Steichen’s Balzac, The Open Sky, 11 P.M. (1908), believed to be one of only three extant examples of its scale (estimate: $700,000–$1m). It comes from his extensive series photographing Auguste Rodin’s sculpture of the French writer Honoré  de Balzac. 

In late summer 1908, Steichen transformed the plaster statue into a ghostly, monumental figure by photographing it outdoors under the moon, using long exposures of up to an hour to capture its ethereal presence against a brooding nocturnal landscape. Rodin, who had previously struggled to realize his vision for Balzac, reportedly exclaimed on seeing the prints: “You will make the world understand my Balzac through your pictures.” The photograph served as the centerpiece of Steichen’s 1909 exhibition at the Photo-Secession galleries and was later reproduced in the 1911 special Rodin issue of Camera Work. 

It was originally discovered at a yard sale on the northern shores of Lake George by a young man drawn to its wide wooden frame. On returning home he noticed the faint “Steichen” signature in the lower corner, and it was sold that spring to the Roses for $53,400, a record for the artist at the time and among the highest prices ever paid for a photograph. 

With Steichen’s negatives from this period destroyed during World War I, prints of this scale are exceptionally rare. The Rose example is believed to be one of only three extant in this monumental size, the two other comparable prints are in institutional collections. Steichen’s market has continued to grow, with The Pond—Moonlight making $2.9m in 2006 and The Flatiron $11.8m in 2022, now standing as the second-highest sale for a photograph at auction. 

Other highlights include Tina Modotti’s Roses, Mexico (est. $250,000–$350,000), created in 1924 after her move to Mexico City, and Edward Weston’s Nautilus (Shell) (estimate: $300,000–$500,000) from 1927. The photograph was inspired in part by his encounter with painter Henrietta Shore whose stark shell paintings left a lasting impression.

"The Jill and Marshall Rose Collection is an extraordinary testament to the vision and discernment of two collectors who were truly ahead of their time," said Emily Bierman, Sotheby’s Global Head of Prints & Photographs. "Each incredibly rare photograph reflects not only exceptional quality but also the collectors’ shared vision and steadfast passion for the arts.

Works from The Jill and Marshall Rose Collection will inaugurate Sotheby’s photography auctions series at its new global headquarters in the Breuer Building, starting with the Photographs auctions on April 14 and 16.