He is known for his singing talents and showmanship that have made a mark in music history, but less so for his keen eye as a collector. Yet, since the early 1990s, Sir Elton John has built one of the largest and most recognized private photography collections in the world. Along with his partner David Furnish, he has gathered over 7,000 signed prints by renowned international photographers such as Robert Mapplethorpe, Richard Avedon, Nan Goldin, Diane Arbus, Irving Penn, and Mary Ellen Mark.
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Sometimes artistic, sometimes journalistic, these snapshots, captured between the 1950s and today, trace the major artistic, political, and societal movements of the 20th and 21st centuries. With its new exhibition, Fragile beauty, Le Jeu de Paume brings together 300 works from this collection to showcase to the public. It’s a unique dive into the journeys of the two collectors and into History.
Engaging through the collection of photographs
Spread across multiple rooms, the exhibition explores five themes through the lens of photography. Behind their seemingly light-hearted appearance, the photographs are tinged with powerful messages, whose intensity only grows.
As the journey unfolds, the concept of Desire is explored with both precision and boldness from the very start. Bare bodies reveal themselves before the lens, reflecting a true commitment to bodily freedom, LGBTQ+ empowerment, and queer identities. Here, all taboos are lifted to make way for scenes of life that are strikingly authentic and sincere.
© Ethan Swope, In the Path of Fire, 2025, Associated Press/Alamy/Ethan Swope
We smile, we allow ourselves to be moved, and we also embrace the feeling of breathlessness as we discover the section dedicated to "Reporting" — a shared passion of Sir Elton John and David Furnish. It opens with a deep dive into 1960s America, marked by the ever-vibrant struggle for civil rights. Following this are more contemporary and equally poignant images, including the events of September 11, 2001, and the devastating wildfires in California in 2025.
Art and the stage in real life as in photography
Costumes that are more extravagant than ever, outfits bursting with color and sparkle… The one nicknamed Rocketman has a fascination with the extraordinary.
exceptional in fashion and on stage. Naturally, two sections of the exhibition are dedicated to these themes that are so central to the artist's life. As magazines flourish in the second half of the 20th century, creators revolutionize fashion, which is further elevated by photographers. They reveal ever more innovative and bold silhouettes, becoming iconic images.In front of these photographs, the profiles of Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and even Doris Day transport us straight into the backstage of the cultural life of the past: before a Supremes concert or on the set of the film The Misfits in 1960. A time-travel journey as rich as it is eclectic, which tells the evolution of photography as much as it allows us to freeze time to enshrine it in eternity.
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Fragile beauty
Jeu de Paume
1, Place de la Concorde — 1st
Until September 27, 2026
Tuesday from 11 AM to 9 PM
Wednesday to Sunday from 11 AM to 7 PM
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