25/04/2026
Boris Ignatovich (1899-1976)
Youth, 1937
Vintage gelatin silver print mounted on board
Title and date in pencil in Russian on verso
Photographer’s stamp in ink on verso
16 1/2 × 21 15/16 in. (41.9 x 55.7 cm)
Among Ignatovich’s most beloved works of art, this photograph is a timeless celebration of the joy and energy of youth. The artist positioned his subjects in a triangle composition that successfully corresponds to the rounded shape of the camera lens, and the interaction of light and shadow gives the photograph a warm vitality. He gave the image a warm vitality by masterfully balancing depth and tone, light and shadow — a technical control of light that he developed in the 1920s. This photograph has become an icon of Soviet photography, and this large-size print was made for an exhibition and is very rare
