Curated by Associate Professor Lisa Lipinski's History of Exhibitions class, this exhibition explores the work of Philippe Halsman, whose portraits of mid-20th-century cultural icons reveal the tension between public persona and private identity. Halsman (1906–1979), who arrived in the United States in 1940 after fleeing antisemitic persecution, revolutionized portrait photography through theatrical staging, inventive choreography and bold experimentation.

Structured around the themes of Comedy, Theatricality, Femininity, and the Mask Abstracted, the exhibition examines how Halsman encouraged his subjects to participate in their own acts of masking — while simultaneously questioning whether photography can ever capture an authentic self. The exhibition offers a compelling dialogue with the Maria Callas costumes, uniting photography and performance through ideas of identity and presentation.

Image: Philippe Halsman, Allen Funt, Durward Kirby, Marilyn Van Herbur, 1960, gelatin silver print

Gift of Lawrence Benenson, 1983 (P.83.18.165) © Philippe Halsman Estate 2025