August Sander

‘I hate nothing more than sugary photographs with tricks, poses and effects. So allow me to be honest and tell the truth about our age and its people’
– August Sander.

August Sander was born in Herdorf, a small rural village east of Cologne, in 1876. He was one of nine children of a peasant and miner family. Sander is now viewed as a forefather of conceptual art and a pioneering documentarian of human diversity. In his project entitled ‘Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts (People of the 20th Century)’, a project that spanned four decades of his life, Sander strove to systematically document contemporary German society.

This encyclopedic magnum opus constitutes one of the most monumental endeavors in photographic history. Sander’s considered oeuvre, which includes landscape, portrait, architecture and commercial photography, has served as a wellspring of inspiration for modern and contemporary photographers, from Walker Evans and Diane Arbus, to Tina Barney, Rineke Dijkstra, and Bernd and Hilla Becher, and has exerted a profound influence upon new generations of visual artists across mediums.

Sander began his career around the turn of the century with prize-winning historicist photography in Linz, Austria. First exhibitions and purchases by museums date at this time. In Cologne in the early 1920s, Sander established a photographic portrait studio. During this formative time, he regularly met with the group of the (Cologne Progressives), including the influential artists Franz W. Seiwert, Jankel Adler and Heinrich Hoerle. Stimulated by these exchanges, he formalized the concept for ‘People of the 20th Century’, a project whose traces date back to 1910 and which was first introduced in an exhibition in the Kölnische Kunstverein in 1927. The show was positively received by the press, with one reviewer deeming Sander a ‘Balzac of the lens.’ His matter-of-fact, technically exact approach, enhanced by his adoption of a straightforward perspective and use of natural light, became Sander’s modus operandi as he put his apparatus to work atomizing and cataloging society – ‘to tell the truth about his times and his fellow citizens.’

This exhibition led to the publishing of his first book, ‘Antlitz der Zeit (Face of Our Time)’ in 1929. In 1936, the printing blocks were destroyed and unsold copies of the book were impounded, likely due to the publication’s representation of a heterogeneous German society. It is generally understood that the NAZI Party frowned upon such societal representations.

Regardless of the political situation in Germany in the 1933-1945, Sander continued to operate his Cologne photo studio, portraying Intellectuals, Jews, National Socialists, as well as the regular people from the street. He selected many of these commercial portraits for his artistic-intellectual work ‘Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts’, where they became a political statement. Between 1933 and 1935, Sander published books exploring regions of Germany, and from 1942 he began to relocate the most important parts of his negative archive to Kuchhausen, a small village in the Westerwald, where he continued his photographic profession as well as his project work. Although his studio in Cologne was destroyed in a 1944 bombing raid, Sander continued to work on ‘People of the 20th Century’ throughout the rest of his life.

In 1951, German collector and photo-entrepreneur L. Fritz Gruber dedicated an extensive exhibition to Sander at the Photokina in Cologne and introduced him to Edward Steichen. In 1953, Steichen selected a number of his works to be included in his exhibition, ‘The Family of Man,’ at MoMA in New York. Sander has since been honored with major solo exhibitions and inclusion in important group shows and public collections throughout the world. He remains a constant and steadfast influence on new generations of artists to this day.

Biography

Born Herdorf, Germany, 1876

Died Cologne, Germany, 1964

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2018 Hauser & Wirth, 'August Sander. Men Without Masks', London, England
Westlicht, 'August Sander', Vienna, Austria
Shoah Memorial Museum, 'August Sander. Persécutés/persécuteurs des Hommes du XXe siècle', Paris, France

2017 Siebengebirgsmuseum, 'August Sander: Das Gesicht der Landschaft. Rheinland und Siebengebirge', Königswinter, Germany
Czytelnia Sztuki, 'August Sander: Portrety, 1910–1954', Gliwice, Poland
Tate Liverpool, 'Portraying a Nation: Germany 1918 - 1933. ARTIST ROOMS: August Sander', Liverpool, England
Hauser & Wirth, 'August Sander', New York NY
Kunstmuseum Kloster unser Lieben Frauen, 'August Sander. Photographs from 'Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts'', Magdeburg, Germany

2016 Le Point du Jour, 'August Sander', Cherbourg, France
Kreisverwaltung Altenkirchen, 'August Sander - Der Westerwald im Spiegel der Zeit', Altenkirchen, Germany

2015 Deborah Bell Photographs, 'August Sander: Prints for the Aperture Monograph', New York NY
Palazzo Ducale, 'August Sander: Ritratto del XX secolo', Genoa, Italy
Die Photographische Sammlung/SK Stiftung Kultur, 'August Sander: A view of the collection: Westerwald. Portraits and Landscapes', Cologne, Germany
Ernst Barlach Museum, 'August Sander und die Kölner Progressiven: 1920-1933', Wedel, Germany
FOMU Fotomuseum Antwerp, 'August Sander – Masterpieces and Discoveries', Antwerp, Belgium

2014 Pinakothek der Moderne‚ 'People in a River Landscape. August Sander and the photography of the present from the Lothar Schirmer collection', Munich, Germany
Galerie Feroz, 'August Sander: Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts', Bonn, Germany
Art Institute of Chicago, 'August Sander: Photography Is___', Chicago IL
Die Photographische Sammlung/SK Stiftung Kultur, 'August Sander: Meisterwerke und Entdeckungen', Cologne, Germany

2013 La Fábrica, 'August Sander: Hombres del siglo XX, People of the 20th Century', Madrid, Spain
Multimedia Art Museum, 'August Sander: Portrait. Landscape. Architecture', Moscow, Russia

2012 30th São Paulo Biennial, 'August Sander: People of the 20th Century', Sao Paulo, Brazil

2011 Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, 'Artists Rooms: August Sander', Edinburgh, England

2010 Tate Modern, 'Artists Rooms: August Sander', London, England

2009 Kölnisches Stadtmuseum, 'August Sander. Köln wie es war', Cologne, Germany
Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson, 'August Sander: Voir, observer et penser', Paris, France

2008 The Getty Center, 'August Sander: People of the Twentieth Century', Los Angeles CA

2004 Martin-Gropius-Bau, 'August Sander. Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts. Das große Portraitwerk und Arbeiten seiner Künstlerfreunde', Berlin, Germany
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 'August Sander: People of the Twentieth Century, A Photographic Portrait of Germany', New York NY

2002 San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 'August Sander: People of the Twentieth Century', San Francisco CA

2001 Die Photographische Sammlung/SK Stiftung Kultur, 'August Sander: People of the Twentieth Century', Cologne, Germany

1997 National Portrait Gallery, 'August Sander: In Photography There Are No Shadows', London, England

1994 Kunstmuseum, 'August Sander: In der Photographie gibt es keine ungeklärten Schatten!', Bonn, Germany
Pushkin Museum of Fine Art, 'August Sander: In der Photographie gibt es keine ungeklärten Schatten!', Moscow, Russia
Museum of Contemporary Art, 'August Sander: In der Photographie gibt es keine ungeklärten Schatten!', Tokyo, Japan

1993 Museum für Photographie, 'August Sander: Antlitz der Zeit', Brunswick, Germany
Bibliotheque Mejanes, 'August Sander: Antlitz der Zeit', Aix-en-Provence, France
Kuenstlerhaus Edenkoben, 'August Sander: Antlitz der Zeit', Plovdiv, Bulgaria

1981 Galerie der Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst, 'Fotografisches Werk August Sanders: Menschen des 20. Jahrunderts', Leipzig, Germany

1980 Philadelphia Museum of Art, 'August Sander: Photographs of an Epoch 1904-1959', Philadelphia PA

1978 Stadtmuseum, 'August Sander-Retrospektive', Linz, Austria

1977 Scottish Photography Group, 'August Sander, Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts/People of the 20th Century', Edinburgh, England
Kunstgewerbemuseum, 'Menschen ohne Maske, Fotografien 1906–1952 von August Sander', Zurich, Switzerland

1976 Sander Gallery, 'August Sander 1876-1976: A Retrospective in Honor of the Artist's 100th Birthday', Washington DC
Kölnischer Kunstverein, 'August Sander: Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts', Cologne, Germany

1973 Mannheimer Kunstverein, 'August Sander. Menschen ohne Maske', Mannheim, Germany
Sonnabend Gallery, New York NY

1969 Museum of Modern Art New York, 'August Sander Retrospective', New York NY

1959 Deutsche Gesellschaft für Photographie, 'August Sander: Gestalten seiner Zeit', Cologne, Germany

1927 Kölnischer Kunstverein, 'August Sander: Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts', Cologne, Germany

1906 Landhaus-Pavillon, 'Große Ausstellung photographischer Atelier August Sander', Linz/Donau, Germany

Selected Group Exhibitions

2018 me Collectors Room Berlin / Stiftung Olbricht, ‘The Moment is Eternity. Works from the Olbricht Collection’, Berlin, Germany
National Gallery of Australia, 'Otto Dix and August Sander. War, people, landscape', Canberra, Australia
LUMA Arles, 'Picture Industry', Arles, France
Photobastei, 'Meister des 20 Jahrhunderts – der andere Blick', Zurich, Switzerland

2017 Minneapolis Institute of Art, 'New Pictures: Omer Fast, Appendix', Minneapolis MN
Kunsthalle Wien, 'How To Live Together', Vienna, Austria
Hauser & Wirth, 'Serialities', New York NY
Pinakothek der Moderne, 'Künstlerportraits. Fotografien der 1920er und 1930er Jahre der Stiftung Ann und Jürgen Wilde', Munich, Germany
Hessel Museum of Art, 'Picture Industry', Annandale-on-Hudson NY

2016 Sprengel Museum, 'Werkstatt für Photographie 1976 – 1986', Hannover, Germany
Neue Galerie, 'BerufsBilder. Positionen zeitgenössischer Portraitfotografie', Dachau, Germany

2015 NS Dokumentationszentrum, 'August Sanders unbeugsamer Sohn', Cologne, Germany
Museo Correr, 'New Objectivity: Modern German Art in the Weimar Republic: 1919-1933. Otto Dix, Christian Schad, Georg Grosz, Max Beckmann and August Sander', Venice, Italy

2014 Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, 'RealSurreal. Masterpieces of Avant-Garde Photography. Das Neue Sehen. 1920-1950 Siegert Collection', Wolfsburg, Germany

2013 30th Biennial de São Paulo, 'The imminence of poetics - Selected works', Belo Horizonte, Brazil

2000 Josef-Haubrich-Kunsthalle, 'Zeitgenossen: August Sander und die Kunstszene der 20er Jahre im Rheinland', Cologne, Germany

1980 Ständige Vertretung, 'August Sander: Fotografien von 1906-1945; Bernd und Hilla Becher: Fotografien von 1961-1980', Berlin, Germany

1956 Museum of Modern Art, 'Diogenes with a Camera III: August Sander, Alvarez Bravo, Walker Evans, and Paul Strand', New York NY

1955 Museum of Modern Art, 'Family of Man', New York NY

1951 Photokina, Cologne, Germany

Bibliography

Monographs

2017 Conrath-Scholl, Gabriele, Scheuren, Elmar, 'August Sander. Das Gesicht der Landschaft. Rhein und Siebengebirge', Königswinter: Siebengebirgsmuseum der Stadt Königswinter e.V., 2017 (exh. cat.)

2016 Matz, Reinhard, 'August Sanders Köln wie es war', Cologne: Greven Verlag, 2016

2014 Graeve Ingelmann, Inka (ed.), 'Menschen vor Flusslandschaft. August Sander und die Fotografie der Gegenwart aus der Sammlung Lothar Schirmer', Munich: Schirmer/Mosel Verlag, Pinakothek der Moderne, 2014 (exh. cat.)
Kemp, Wolfgang (ed.), 'August Sander. Rheinlandschaften. Photographien 1929–1946', Munich: Schirmer/Mosel, 2014

2013 Die Photographische Sammlung, SK-Stiftung Kultur Köln (eds.), 'August Sander. People of the 20th century. A cultural work of photographs divided into seven groups', Munich: Schirmer/Mosel Verlag, 2013 (exh. cat.)

2009 Kölnisches Stadtmuseum (ed.), 'August Sander. Köln wie es war. 408 Fotografien von 1920 bis 1939', Cologne: Emons, 2009 (exh. cat.)
–––, 'August Sander, Sardinien: Photographien einer Italienreise 1927', Cologne/Munich: Die Photographische Sammlung, SK Stiftung Kultur Köln/Schirmer/Mosel, 2009 (exh. cat.)
Conrath-Scholl, Gabriele (ed.), 'August Sander. Sehen, Beobachten und Denken. Photographien', Munich: Schirmer/Mosel Verlag, 2009 (exh. cat.)
Conrath-Scholl, Gabriele (ed.), 'August Sander. Seeing, Observing and Thinking. Photographs', Munich: Schirmer/Mosel Verlag, 2009 (exh. cat.)

2006 –––, 'August Sander. Face of our time. Sixty portraits of twentieth-century Germans', Munich/London: Schirmer Art Books, 2006
Conrath-Scholl, Gabriele, Hochleitner, Martin, Lange, Susanne, 'August Sander: Linzer Jahre, 1901-1909', Munich: Schirmer/Mosel Verlag 2006

2005 Conrath-Scholl, Gabriele, Hochleitner, Martin, Lange, Susanne (eds.), 'August Sander. Linzer Jahre 1901-1909', Munich: Schirmer/Mosel Verlag, 2005

2003 Döblin, Alfred, 'August Sander. Antlitz der Zeit. Sechzig Aufnahmen deutscher Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts', Munich: Schirmer/Mosel Verlag, 2003
Döblin, Alfred, 'August Sander. Face of Our Time', Munich: Schirmer Art Books, 2003

2002 Verein August-Macke-Haus (ed.), 'August Sander - Franz M. Jansen. Rheinlandschaften im Dialog', Bonn: Verein August-Macke-Haus, 2002
Lange, Susanne, Conrath-Scholl, Gabriele (eds.), 'August Sander. Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts: Ein Kulturwerk in Lichtbildern eingeteilt in sieben Gruppen', Cologne/Munich: Die Photographische Sammlung, SK Stiftung Kultur Köln/Schirmer/Mosel Verlag, 2002

2001 Lange, Susanne, Conrath-Scholl, Gabriele (eds.), 'August Sander: Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts. Studienband', Cologne/Munich: Die Photographische Sammlung, SK Stiftung Kultur Köln/Schirmer/Mosel Verlag, 2001

2000 Lange, Susanne, Schmidt, Hans-Werner (eds.), 'Zeitgenossen. August Sander und die Kunstszene der 20er Jahre im Rheinland', Göttingen: Steidl, 2000
–––, 'August Sander. Photographs from the J. Paul Getty Museum', Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2000 (exh .cat.)

1999 Lugon, Olivier (ed.), 'August Sander. Landschaften', Cologne/Munich: Die Photographische Sammlung, SK Stiftung Kultur Köln/Schirmer/Mosel Verlag, 1999
Die Photographische Sammlung, SK Stiftung Kultur Köln (eds.): 'August Sander. Landschaften', Munich: Schirmer/Mosel Verlag, 1999
Heiting, Manfred (ed.), 'August Sander. 1876–1964', Cologne: Taschen Verlag, 1999

1998 Brenne, Hans R. (ed.), 'Das neue Bild vom Menschen. August Sander und die traditionelle Portraitphotographie', Ratingen: Preuß, 1998

1997 Lange, Susanne, Conrath-Scholl, Gabriele, Ganteführer, Anne [et. al], 'August Sander, Karl Blossfeldt, Albert Renger-Patzsch, Bernd und Hilla Becher. Vergleichende Konzeptionen', Cologne/Munich: Die Photographische Sammlung, SK Stiftung Kultur Köln/Schirmer/Mosel Verlag, 1997 (exh. cat.)

1996 Schreier, Christoph (ed.), 'August Sander. In Photography there are no unexplained shadows', London/Cologne: National Portrait Gallery/August Sander Archiv, SK Stiftung Kultur Köln, 1996

1995 Lange, Susanne, Conrath-Scholl, Gabriele, 'August Sander. Photographien 1902–1939', Berlin/Cologne: Kulturstiftung der Länder/Kulturstiftung der Stadtsparkasse Köln, 1995
–––, 'August Sander. Eine Reise nach Sardinien. Fotografien 1927', Hannover: Sprengel-Museum, 1995 (exh. cat.)
Lange, Susanne, Dr. Schäfke, Werner (eds.), 'August Sander. Köln wie es war', Cologne: Kölnisches Stadtmuseum, August Sander Archiv, Kulturstiftung der Stadtsparkasse Köln, 1995

1994 Schreier, Christoph, Sander, Gerd, 'August Sander. In der Photographie gibt es keine ungeklärten Schatten', Berlin/Cologne: Ars Nicolai/August Sander Archives, Stiftung City-Treff, 1994 (exh. cat.)
Misselbeck, Reinhold (ed.), 'August Sander. Köln-Portrait', Cologne: Wienand Verlag, 1994

1990 Nordrhein-Westfalen-Stiftung, Naturschutz, Heimat- und Kulturpflege (eds.), 'August Sander. Das Siebengebirge. Naturbilder aus den Jahren 1926 bis 1953', Cologne: Rheinland Verlag, 1990

1988 Schäfke, Werner (ed.), 'August Sander. Köln, wie es war', Cologne: Emons Verlag, 1988

1985 Ranke, Winfried (ed.), 'August Sander. Die Zerstörung Kölns. Photographien 1945 – 1946', Munich: Schirmer/Mosel, 1985

1982 Sander, Gunther, 'August Sander', Leipzig: VEB Fotokinoverlag, 1982

1980 Newhall, Beaumont (ed.), 'August Sander. Photographs of an Epoch 1904-1959. Man of the twentieth Century, Rhineland Landscapes, Nature Studies, Architectural and Industrial Photographs, Images of Sardina', New York: Aperture, 1980

1976 Sander, Gunter, 'August Sander: Menschen ohne Maske. Photographien 1906 – 1950', Munich: Schirmer/Mosel Verlag, 1976
Döblin, Alfred (ed.), 'August Sander. Antlitz der Zeit', Munich: Schirmer/Mosel, 1976

1975 Kemp, Wolfgang, 'August Sander: Rheinlandschaften. Photographien 1929 – 1946', Munich: Schirmer/Mosel, 1975.

1973 Mann, Golo, Sander, Gunter, 'August Sander. Men Without Masks. Faces of Germany 1910 – 1938', New York: New York Graphic Society, 1973

Publications

2014 Schäfke, Werner, Laschet, Carsten, 'Brückenstadt. Köln. Fotografien von 1900 bis heute', Cologne: Bachem Verlag, 2014

2013 Dekiert, Marcus, Krischel, Roland (eds.), 'Von Mensch zu Mensch. Wilhelm Leibl und August Sander', Munich: Hirmer, 2013

2011 Schnorbach, Marita, 'Projekt August Sander. Sich zur Schau stellen. Photographie in der Schule', Cologne: Anna-Freud-Schule, 2011

2008 Öhlschläger, Claudia: ‘Antlitz der Zeit. Zur soziologisch-politischen Dimension des Physiognomischen in der Ära der Neuen Sachlichkeit', in: Hebekus, Uwe, Stöckmann, Ingo (eds.), 'Die Souveränität der Literatur', Munich: Fink, 2008, pp. 239 – 257

2007 Stumberger, Rudolf, 'Klassen-Bilder. Sozialdokumentarische Fotografie 1900 – 1945', Konstanz: Universitätsverlag, 2007

2005 Philipp, Claudia Gabriele, 'August Sander', in: Neue Deutsche Biographie (NDB), Vol. 22, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, 2005

2004 Conrath-Scholl, Gabriele, Lange, Susanne, 'Einen Spiegel der Zeit schaffen. August Sanders Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts', in: Zeithistorische Forschungen, Vol. 2, 2004

2002 Naef, Weston (ed.), 'In Focus. August Sander. Photographs from the J. Paul Getty Museum', Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2000

1986 Philipp , Claudia Gabriele, 'August Sanders Projekt. Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts. Rezeption und Interpretation', Cologne: Philosophische Fakultät 1986 (thesis)

Press

2018 Luke, Ben, 'German portraits the Nazis were desperate to suppress', in: Evening Standard, London/UK, 23 May 2018, ill.
Haddad, Natalie, 'Art and Ascent of the Third Reich', on: hyperallergic.com, New York/NY, 21 May 2018, ill.
Wood, Gaby, 'August Sander: "Every Person's Story is Written Plainly on His Face"', in: The Daily Telegraph, London/UK, 18 May 2018, ill.
Harrison, Anya, '"August Sander" at Hauser & Wirth', in: Modern Painters, New York/ NY, May 2018, ill.
__, 'Before the Fall: German and Austrian Art of the 1930s', in: Whitewaller, New York/NY, May 2018, ill.
Clifford, Eva, 'August Sander: Men Without Masks', on: bjp-online.com, UK, 18 April 2018, ill.

(contd.) Budick, Ariella, 'Art in Nazism's shadow: Before the Fall at the Neue Galerie, New York', on: ft.com, London/ UK, 3 April 2018, ill.
Gauvin, Jean-Baptiste, 'August Sander: Portraits in the face of oblivion', on: loeildelaphotographie.com, Paris/FR, 23 March 2018, ill.
Guillot, Claire, 'Photographie: August Sander, les Allemands sous tous les angles', on: http://www.lemonde.fr, Paris/FR, 19 March 2018, ill.
Waygood, Walter, 'First Person: Blaenavon-born photographer Walter Waygood', on: http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk, Newport/UK, 9 January 2018
2017
Smyth, Diane, 'The Shadow Archive, vernacular portrait photography at The Walther Collection, NYC', on: bjp-online.com London/UK,13 December 2017, ill.
Jones, Jonathan, 'Portraying a Nation: Germany 1919-1933 – Tate Liverpool', on: theguardian.com, New York/NY, 13 December 2017
Eler, Alicia, ' Artist Omer Fast is drawing protest in N.Y., but only curiosity in Minneapolis', on: http://m.startribune.com/, Minneapolis, 26 October 2017, ill.
Cotter, Holland, 'Omer Fast's Chinatown Installation Is a Misfire', on: nyimes.com, New York, 20 October 2017, ill.
Keane, Tim, 'How August Sander and Otto Dix recorded Fascism's Rise', on: https://hyperallergic.com, New York/NY, 08 October 2017, ill.
du Toit, Wessie, 'Starring at the zeitgeist', on: https://www.apollo-magazine.com/staring-the-zeitgeist-right-in-the-face/, Apollo, 17 August 2017, ill.
Carey-Kent, Paul, 'Portraying a Nation: Germany 1919 – 1933 Tate Liverpool', in: The World of Interiors, London, September 2017, ill.
Wullschlager, Jackie, 'German Art at Tate Liverpool: Reflections on Age of Anxiety', in: Financial Times, London, 30 June 2017.
Januszczak, Waldemar, 'Art review: Germany 1919-1933 at Tate Liverpool', in: The Sunday Times, London, 25 June 2017, ill.
Kent, Sarah, 'Portraying a Nation, Tate Liverpool review – an inspired juxtaposition', on: www.theartdesk.com, Barnet, 26 June 2017, ill.
Cumming, Laura, 'Portraying a Nation: germany 1919-33 review – August Sander and Otto Dix, masters of life and death', on: www.theguardian.com, London, 5 June 2017
___, 'If you thought Liza Minelli in Cabaret was the height of Weimar decadence, think again', in: The Guardian, London, 23 June 2017
Zafiris, Alex, 'August Sander: The Intimacy of Time', on: www.guernicamag.com, 15 June 2017, ill.
Boyes, Roger, 'The artists who showed the face of Weimar Germany', in: The Times, Saturday Review, London/UK, 10 June 2017, pp. 8n – 9, ill.
Jansen, Charlotte, 'August Sander's ambitiously truthful character studies capture a startling humanity, on: www.wallpaper.com, London/UK, 2 June 2017
Silas, Susan, 'Incorporating Photography into Art History, Starting with August Sander', on: www.hyperallergic.com, New York, 28 March 2017, ill.
Sweeny, Erin, 'Implicit Politics: August Sander and the Fallacy of Objectivity', on: www.magazine.art21.org, New York, 23 March 2017, ill.
Kohler, Michael, 'Wem gehört das Erbe August Sanders?', in: Art, Hamburg/DE, April 2017, p. 140 – 141, ill.
Diamond Hamer, Katy, 'The Archetypes of August Sander, Hauser and Wirth', on: www.eyes-towards-the-dove.com, New York, 20 April 2017, ill.
Evans, Richard, 'Portraying a Nation: Germany 1919 – 1933. In the Eye of', in: Tate Etc, London, May 2017, pp. 44 – 45, ill.
Kennedy, Maev, ' Tate Liverpool to exhibit works of German artists whose lives were shaped by war', on: theguardian.com, London/UK, 18 January 2017

2017 Smyth, Diane, 'The Shadow Archive, vernacular portrait photography at The Walther Collection, NYC', on: bjp-online.com London/UK,13 December 2017, ill.
Jones, Jonathan, 'Portraying a Nation: Germany 1919-1933 – Tate Liverpool', on: theguardian.com, New York, NY, 13 December 2017
Eler, Alicia, ' Artist Omer Fast is drawing protest in N.Y., but only curiosity in Minneapolis', on: http://m.startribune.com/, Minneapolis, 26 October 2017, ill.
Cotter, Holland, 'Omer Fast's Chinatown Installation Is a Misfire', on: nyimes.com, New York, 20 October 2017, ill.
Keane, Tim, 'How August Sander and Otto Dix recorded Fascism's Rise', on: https://hyperallergic.com, New York, 08 October 2017, ill.
du Toit, Wessie, 'Starring at the zeitgeist', on: https://www.apollo-magazine.com/staring-the-zeitgeist-right-in-the-face/, Apollo, 17 August 2017, ill.
Carey-Kent, Paul, 'Portraying a Nation: Germany 1919 – 1933 Tate Liverpool', in: The World of Interiors, London, September 2017, ill.
Wullschlager, Jackie, 'German Art at Tate Liverpool: Reflections on Age of Anxiety', in: Financial Times, London, 30 June 2017.
Januszczak, Waldemar, 'Art review: Germany 1919-1933 at Tate Liverpool', in: The Sunday Times, London, 25 June 2017, ill.
Kent, Sarah, 'Portraying a Nation, Tate Liverpool review – an inspired juxtaposition', on: www.theartdesk.com, Barnet, 26 June 2017, ill.
Cumming, Laura, 'Portraying a Nation: germany 1919-33 review – August Sander and Otto Dix, masters of life and death', on: www.theguardian.com, London, 5 June 2017
___, 'If you thought Liza Minelli in Cabaret was the height of Weimar decadence, think again', in: The Guardian, London, 23 June 2017
Zafiris, Alex, 'August Sander: The Intimacy of Time', on: www.guernicamag.com, 15 June 2017, ill.
Boyes, Roger, 'The artists who showed the face of Weimar Germany', in: The Times, Saturday Review, London/UK, 10 June 2017, pp. 8n – 9, ill.
Jansen, Charlotte, 'August Sander's ambitiously truthful character studies capture a startling humanity, on: www.wallpaper.com, London/UK, 2 June 2017
Silas, Susan, 'Incorporating Photography into Art History, Starting with August Sander', on: www.hyperallergic.com, New York, 28 March 2017, ill.
Sweeny, Erin, 'Implicit Politics: August Sander and the Fallacy of Objectivity', on: www.magazine.art21.org, New York, 23 March 2017, ill.
Kohler, Michael, 'Wem gehört das Erbe August Sanders?', in: Art, Hamburg/DE, April 2017, p. 140 – 141, ill.
Diamond Hamer, Katy, 'The Archetypes of August Sander, Hauser and Wirth', on: www.eyes-towards-the-dove.com, New York, 20 April 2017, ill.
Evans, Richard, 'Portraying a Nation: Germany 1919 – 1933. In the Eye of', in: Tate Etc, London, May 2017, pp. 44 – 45, ill.
Kennedy, Maev, ' Tate Liverpool to exhibit works of German artists whose lives were shaped by war', on: theguardian.com, London/UK, 18 January 2017

2016 Green, Tyler, 'The August Sander Project: Beginning a Five-Year Exploration of Sanders's "People of the Twentieth Century"', on: www.stories.moma.org, 17 November 2016, ill.
Estrin, James, 'A New Look at August Sander's People of the Twentieth Century', on: lens.blogs.nytimes.com, New York, NY, 15 November 2017, ill.
Mercier, Clémentine, 'August Sander regard sans fard', on: next.liberation.fr, Paris/FR, 5 June 2016
Fulford, Robert, 'A tableau of tragedies: August Sander's portraits are the simplest in the history of photography, but also the deepest', on: nationalpost.com, Toronto/CA, 11 April 2016, ill.

2015 Russell, Anna, 'The Art of Dispassion During the Weimar Republic', on: wsj.com, New York/NY, 4 September 2015
Testino, Arianna, 'August Sander e il MoMA. Storia di un'acquisizione', on: artribune.com, Rome/IT, 11 June 2015, ill.
Silverman, Rena, 'Finding the Right Types in August Sander's Germany', on: lens.blogs.nytimes.com, New York/NY, 6 June 2015, ill.
___, 'MoMA kauft deutsche Foto-Sammlung', on: monopol-magazin.de, Berlin/DE, 6 June 2015
Bowley, Graham, 'MoMA Acquires Hundreds of August Sander Photographs', on: nytimes.com, New York/NY, 4 June, 2015, ill.
Bigazzi, Stefano, 'Sander, I volti in bianco e nero della Germania che si transforma', Genoa/IT, 10 April 2015, ill.

2014 Feeney, Mark, 'Portraits with personality – and still lifes with it, too', on: bostonglobe.com, Boston/MA, 12 September 2014, ill.
___, 'August Sander, medio siglo sin el Fotografo del aleman medio', on: elconfidencial.com, Madrid/ES, 19 April 2014, ill.
Friecke, Christiane, 'August Sander. Vollender eines Jahrhundertwerks', in: Photo News, Vol. 3, p. 8, ill.
Kohler, Michael, 'Sein Werk ist noch nicht ausgeschöpft', in: Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, 14 April 2014, n.p. , ill.

2013 Kabir, Ihtisham, 'Sander's Germans', on: thedailystar.net, Dhaka/BD, 7 September 2013, ill.

2004 Kuspit, Donald, 'Social Propriety and Human Reality', on: artnet.com, New York/NY, 25 May 2004, ill.