Ed van der Elsken: Up Close

Ed van der Elsken (1925–1990) was one of the Netherlands’ most prominent and influential photographers. He captured his vision of the world, humanity and his own life in a raw and direct style, driven by a relentless curiosity and invention.

Ed van der Elsken: Up Close offers a unique, richly illustrated survey of his diverse oeuvre. Alongside iconic images, it contains a wealth of unpublished materials – contact sheets, letters, notes and book designs – from his professional archive. Based on these sources, Hinde Haest, Curator of Photography at the Rijksmuseum, sheds new light on the photographer’s working methods and artistic development, as well as the close intertwining of his life and work.
The book reaffirms Van der Elsken’s enduring importance as a leading photographic innovator: original, idiosyncratic and fiercely committed to his craft.