Original matte-finish 16 x 20 photographic print of James Dean by photographer Roy Schatt, which depicts the actor smoking a cigarette and walking down West 68th Street in New York City in 1954, signed in the lower border in pencil by Schatt, whose photography stamp is on the reverse, which is also stamped: “Not for Publication, Copyright James Dean Foundation Trust 1982.” In fine condition, with a slight crease to the upper right corner.
Born in New York City, Schatt (1909-2002) is remembered for his 'method photography' of personalities associated with The Actors Studio during the Lee Strasberg era, using natural light to capture likenesses of icons such as James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, and Steve McQueen in candid, unstaged settings. Schatt and Dean became especially close friends, with Schatt teaching the actor the basics of photography so that he knew what it was like to be behind the camera. Schatt's work has been exhibited at the International Center of Photography in NYC, the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., and the Art Institute of Chicago.
