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Marco Bischof, Werner Bischof Estate
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Werner Bischof
Photographer (1916 -1954)
"Only work done in depth, with total commitment, and wrested with one's whole heart, can truly have value."
The Swiss Photographer Werner Bischof started his career in Studio Photography in Zürich and later documented Europe in the aftermath of World War II. He joined the famous photographers group Magnum Photos in 1949 and travelled the world.
Disliking the ‘superficiality and sensationalism’ of the magazine business, he devoted much of his working life to looking for order and tranquility in traditional culture, something that did not endear him to picture editors looking for hot topical material.
Werner Bischof always considered himself as an artist. His humanistic approach towards existential human issues combined with his artistic talents made him a classic of black and white photography.
Werner Bischof died at the early age of 38 in a car accident in the Andes of Peru.
The Website
The photographs, contact sheets, drawings, texts and artefacts allow you to follow his thoughts and better understand his images.
On this website we combine quotes by Werner Bischof with his photographs in order to display his work in its context.
Enjoy the Werner Bischof Story and his images!
The Werner Bischof Estate
Werner Bischof Estate in Zurich, Switzerland is a family archive.
Since Werner Bischof’s passing in 1954 his wife Rosellina cared about Werner’s legacy in close collaboration with Magnum Photos from 1954-1986.
Since 1986 it is managed by his son Marco Bischof and Tania Samara Kuhn. The mission is to make this unique work accessible for all generations.
Selected Publications
The texts and images on this website are excerpts from the photo book Backstory. This book was published in 2016 and can be ordered in bookstores or online.
The book traces Bischof’s far-reaching search for human connection through storytelling and is a testament to his relentless obsession to find harmony and beauty.
The Upcoming Exhibitions
- Lugano, Switzerland
Museo d’arte della Svizzera italiana (MASI)12th February – 2nd July 2023 -
Winterthur, Switzerland26th August – 21st January 2024
The Available Exhibitions
“Werner Bischof – Classics”
of Werner Bischof’s best known Photographs
“Werner Bischof – Point of View”
The ultimate Retrospective in Vintage Prints with over 200 Originals
“Werner Bischof – Europe after WWII”
Werner Bischof’s Work during seven trip trough Europe after WWII (80 pictures)
The Prints
Fine Art Estate Prints and Vintage Material (Ephemera) of Werner Bischof are owned by many collectors and institutions worldwide.
Browse the site – order a print and start or improve your own collection!
Werner Bischof Estate
Am Wasser 55
CH-8049 Zurich
Switzerland
info@wernerbischof.com