Ancient and Modern is a landmark retrospective that solidified William Eggleston’s reputation as the father of modern color photography. Published in conjunction with a major exhibition at London’s Barbican Art Gallery, this volume was the first to provide a chronological overview of his entire output. It includes rarely seen early black-and-white photographs from the late 1950s, which reveal the origins of his “democratic” eye, alongside his world-renowned color dye-transfer prints. The book moves from the familiar territory of the American South—Mississippi and Tennessee—to his later travels in Egypt, Berlin, and the United Kingdom. Eggleston’s ability to find the “ancient” (enduring, mythic qualities) within the “modern” (the plastic, neon, and mundane) is the central theme of this collection, showcasing his unparalleled influence on the visual language of the late 20th century.
