Yousuf Karsh

Armenian-Canadian, 1908-2002

One of the most important portrait photographers of the 20th Century, Yousuf Karsh reveals the sometimes-veiled character of his famous sitters – often times through the element of surprise. Best known for his grumpy Churchill portrait, Karsh’s photography exemplifies a remarkable talent for capturing not only an intimate moment with the subject, but the essence of a personality as well.

Karsh studied photography in Ottawa, Canada, after having fled Turkish Armenia during the diasporas of the 1920s. It was in Ottawa that he was able to gain access to prominent national and international figures, such as Winston Churchill during WWII. Many of Karsh’s photographs were published in Life magazine, which gave his art worldwide exposure. Many of his famed sitters actually sought out the artist to photograph them, as to be “Karshed” was a symbol of one’s arrival into celebrity status. Karsh became an artistic icon during his life and truly remains as one of the most influential artists of all time.