The natural world has long found itself the subject of the photographer’s lens, whether it be majestic landscapes, flora and fauna, or closeups of specific ecosystems. As a medium of both creative expression as well as documentation, photography plays a critical role in conversations around environmentalism and climate change, and serves to preserve images of nature for generations to come.
Four artists who have centered their practices on facets of the environment can be found in Artnet Auctions’s Important Photographs sale, now live for bidding through October 16, 2025. From an iconic black-and-white landscape by Ansel Adams to a study of sea waves by Richard Misrach, below we dive into each artist’s unique perspective.
1. Ansel Adams, Clearing Winter Storm, Yosemite National Park, California (1944)
Ansel Adams, Clearing Winter Storm, Yosemite National Park, California (1944). Est. $80,000–$100,000.
One of the most revered American photographers of all time, Ansel Adams (1902–1984) is best known for his dynamic, black-and-white images of the Western United States. Influenced by the work of naturalist and conservationist John Muir, Adams was frequently drawn to the country’s national parks, and some of his most iconic images were taken at Yosemite, an example of which includes Clearing Winter Storm, Yosemite National Park, California (1944). Spurred by a desire to not only document but foster positive sentiment around the country’s natural landscapes, his work has become a cornerstone of the country’s national identity and helped inspire later conservation efforts.
2. Edward Burtynsky, Pivot Irrigation #2 / High Plains, Texas Panhandle, USA (2011)
Edward Burtynsky, Pivot Irrigation #2 / High Plains, Texas Panhandle, USA (2011). Est.$20,000–$30,000.
Recently named on the Independent Climate 100 List 2025, dedicated to leaders in the realm of environmentalism, Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky (b. 1955) has built his career advocating for environmental conservationism and documenting the impacts of human activity and industrialization on nature as well as communities. The present lot is featured in the major travelling solo “Edward Burtynsky: Water,” which originated at the New Orleans Museum of Art and is currently on view at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum. This work and the exhibition home in on one of the photographer’s perennial focuses—water—and more specifically the effects of water overconsumption. Showing a gradation of geometric color across a segment of agricultural land, the washed out, geometric shapes ominously allude to the loss of the natural resource.
3. Richard Misrach, Sea #7 (2021)
Richard Misrach, Sea #7 (2021). Est. $40,000–$60,000.
A pioneer of color photography, Richard Misrach (b. 1949) rose to fame for his large-format images of American landscapes, with a particular emphasis in his oeuvre for the deserts of the Southwest. Taking close focus on the details of his subject, as can be seen in Sea #7 (2021), his work often toes the line between recognizable and abstract. Over the course of his career, he has often documented the negative impact of humans on nature, such as suburban sprawl, wildfires, or industrial manufacturing. Situated at the intersection of art and ecology, his work is a powerful testament to the natural world as it evolves and changes.
4. Peter Beard, c. 965 Elephants / Large Tusker (1976)
Peter Beard, c. 965 Elephants / Large Tusker (1976). Est. $8,000–$12,000.
Peter Beard (1938–2020) garnered international acclaim for his images of African wildlife, frequently assembled into photo collages that included elements of painting, drawing, and text. Not only did Beard document the natural world of Africa, but he was also an environmental activist, bringing awareness to the effects of industrialization on the continent. Also notable to his career, in 1975 he encountered and photographed a university student who would later go on to become an international supermodel known by the mononym Iman. A committed diarist, his archive of images, writings, and ephemera is now together the Peter Beard Studio and Archive and is a tribute to his life’s work.
Important Photographs is now live for bidding through October 16, 2025.
