Richard Polak
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Richard Polak | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 October 1870 Rotterdam, South Holland, Netherlands |
| Died | 7 October 1957 (aged 86) Lausanne, Switzerland |
| Occupation | Photographer |
| Spouse |
Ila Lucie Colclough
(m. 1917; died 1951) |
| Parent(s) | Abraham Jeremias Polak Jeanette Rosenthal |
Richard Polak (17 October 1870, Rotterdam, the Netherlands – 7 October 1957, Lausanne, Switzerland) was a Dutch photographer. He was the son of Abraham Jeremias Polak, a dealer in textiles, and Jeanette Rosenthal.[1]
In September 1913 Polak stayed in Berlin for six weeks to study with the photographer Karl Schenker, whom he had met in London. Schenker helped improve his technique and taught him various skills, including retouching.[1]
His photographic career was short, starting in 1912 and ending three years later because he suffered from bad health (severe asthma). In January 1915 he was elected to the London Salon of Photography.
He sought to reproduce the domestic interiors seen in the paintings of 17th-century Dutch painters Johannes Vermeer and Jan Steen. He found it difficult to rent a suitable studio but eventually discovered the ideal room on the Houttuin Rotterdam[1] with a good north light, the only drawback being that one had to approach it through a trap door. He then spent a considerable amount of money furnishing this with accessories bought at antique shops. He then photographed actors dressed in attires typical of that time.[2]
