08/19/2026
The "picture-taker."
Leo Holub, who founded Stanford's photography program, made portraits of more than 100 prominent American artists and created a rich portfolio of campus, city, and nature images.
Holub built Stanford's darkrooms in 1969 and began teaching the following year. He was proud of his students, a number of whom went on to successful careers as photographers and teachers. (By his estimate, he taught some 4,500 Stanford students before retiring in 1980.)
From 1986 to 1996, Harry and Mary Margaret Anderson commissioned Holub to create portraits of more than 100 American artists in their collection, including Wayne Thiebaud, David Hockney, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Helen Frankenthaler, and Claes Oldenburg. The resulting limited-edition portfolio ranks among the finest examples of artist portraiture.
Images by Leo Holub:
📷 Susan Rothenberg, Bruce Nauman, Galisteo, NM, 1992
📷 Martin Puryear, Accord, NY, 1992
📷 William T. Wiley, Woodacre, CA, 1994
📷 Agnes Martin, Galisteo, NM, 1992
📷 Wayne Thiebaud, Brisbane, CA, 1994
📷 Lynda Benglis, NY, 1986
📷 Peter Voulkos, Oakland, CA, 1994
