Gerda Taro. War in Focus

For a long time, Gerda Taro’s fame was overshadowed by that of her colleague and partner Robert Capa. Today, Gerda Taro is considered a pioneer of war photography. She was born in Stuttgart in 1910 and, being Jewish, was forced to flee to Paris because of the existential danger posed by National Socialism. Gerda Taro left for Spain in 1936, together with Robert Capa, to report on the fighting between the Republicans against Franco’s Fascists. In search of authentic images, she took photographs that document in remarkable close-up views not only the suffering but also the life of the Spanish people during and with war. This approach marked a new era in war reportage. The first female war photographer ever, Gerda Taro died in 1937 following an accident during rearguard action close to Brunete.

In the year of her 100th birthday, the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart presented a retrospective of her work. The museum was the only station of the exhibition in Germany. It was organized by the ICP New York together with Irme Schaber, Taro’s biographer. The retrospective comprised 85 exhibits and associated material and documents.