Constantine Manos: A Greek Portfolio

Born in Columbia to Greek immigrant parents in 1934, Constantine Manos traveled to Greece in the early 1960s, where he photographed the everyday lives of villagers over a period of three years. The resulting body of work, first published in 1972 as A Greek Portfolio, solidified the photographer’s reputation and quickly earned international recognition. In 1978, he donated 50 of those prints to the Columbia Museum of Art, a selection of which is on view in this exhibition. Manos’ account captures the beauty, simplicity, and hardships of rural Greek life with the sensitivity of one with familial ties to that country. In intimate images exploring love, loss, faith, and family, the artist prompts reflection on the nature of human relationships and the connections between land and labor.

^{Untitled [Woman and child], c. 1961–1964
Gelatin silver print
CMA 1978.2.30}