Abutilon, 1928. © Karl Blossfeldt.

Karl Blossfeldt began studying sculpture in 1881. He was a molder in a foundry, where he already used leaves as a presentation for his ornaments. Later, at 19, he began graphic studies at the Berlin School of Applied Arts. But his passion was still photography and for this passion he participated in Rome from 1890 to 1896 in the project of Professor Moritz Meurer : the manufacture of materials for the ornamental organization, with which he debuted as a systematic plant photographer, his first publications appear by Meurers

In 1898, Karl Blossfeldt became an assistant of the School of Applied Arts and from 1899 lecturer with the theme modeling according to plants. In 1921, he was appointed professor and from 1924, he is situated in the Vereinigten Staatsschulen für Freie und Angewandte Kunst (Reunited Schools of Free and Applied Arts) in Berlin.

Its gallery owner, Berliner Karl Nierendorf (1889-1947) exhibited in 1926. The modernity of Karl Nierendorf's photographs was quickly recognized. His first book Urformen der Kunst(The original forms of Art) appears in 1928 published by the important Berlin publisher Wasmuth , and makes it a myth from one day to another. Once retired, he published shortly before he died "Wundergarten der Natur" (The Wonderful Garden of Nature, 1932).

Karl Blossfeldt saw his photographs as learning material, not as autonomous works of art. His photographs, whose scale enlarged and turned into slides, have been projected onto walls and have served as a model for drawing classes and to observe details of plants. In addition, he illustrated natural forms and structures and his works have been used as ornamental product models.

In 2016 Jonathan Anderson rescued his work as inspiration for the launch of the LOEWE 001 perfumes . 

Karl Blossfeldt . Urformen der Kunst is an exhibition project curated by Juan Naranjo and composed of a selection of 40 photographs by the German author that were published in the book Urformen der Kunst (1928) and that over time has become one of the most important photobooks of the twentieth century .

Part of the text extracted from Wikipedia.

Karl Blossfeldt . Urformen der Kunst
From September 6 to October 5, 2019 
National Museum Thyssen-Bornemisza
Paseo del Prado, 8 
* Access to the exhibition is free.

Left Aspidium filix mas, 1928. © Karl Blossfeldt / Right. Centaurea ruthenica, 1928. © Karl Blossfeldt.

Left Petasites officinalis, 1928. © Karl Blossfeldt / Right. Polystichum munitum, 1928. © Karl Blossfeldt.

Aconitum anthora, 1928. © Karl Blossfeldt.