The long life of German photographer August Sander (1876-1964) spanned one of the most turbulent eras in his country's history. The Great War of 1914-1918, the Weimar Republic, the reign of National Socialism, and the horrors of World War II all left an indelible imprint on both the man and his work. Sander, a conventional studio portraitist who transformed himself into an avant-gardist, exemplified the complex and sometimes contradictory nature of his time. He was at once innovative and deeply wedded to the past, blending a progressive vision with a traditional view of society and his craft.<br> The approximately fifty plates featured in <em>In Focus: August Sander</em> are some of the most striking from the Getty Museum's more than twelve hundred pictures by the artist. They include images of rural dwellers such as those found in <em>Young Farmers and Farm Girls</em>, and other portraits including <em>Wife of</em> <em>the Cologne Painter Peter Abelen, Parliamentarian</em>and the poignant <em>Blind Children, D�ren</em>. A chronological overview of Sander's life provides a factual framework for this discussion.