William Eggleston's photographs were once voted the most hated of the year – but this new retrospective proves just how wrong critics can be
The London exhibition marks 50 years since critics called Eggleston's color photographs "banal" and "boring"
In 2026, a new retrospective exhibition of William Eggleston's photographs opens in London, England. The show, titled "William Eggleston: All That Goes Unnoticed," spans his 60-year career behind the camera, featuring many of his iconic images. Known as the "Godfather of Color Photography," Eggleston played a crucial role in establishing color photography as a legitimate, high-art medium.
However, the path to this acclaim was not easy. When his work debuted at MoMA in 1976, it received brutal criticism from prominent art critics. Hilton Kramer called his subjects "perfectly banal, perhaps. Perfectly boring, certainly," while Gene Thornton voted it the most hated show of the year. Critics argued that Eggleston's focus on everyday life, such as tricycles, oven interiors, and a dog drinking from a puddle, was simply too mundane for museum walls.
At the time, color photography was also viewed as a commercial medium unfit for serious art. Despite the backlash, color photography continued to evolve, and Eggleston's unique perspective paved the way for others to receive accolades for their work. Today, it's easy to overlook the controversy that surrounded these photographs in 1976.
However, the images remain unchanged since their debut in 1976, while the audience that once dismissed them has had time to appreciate their artistic merit.
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