couv-photo

Kertész/Lartigue: an unprecedented duo, photography in the limelight at Espace Richaud

undefined undefined 16 février 2023 undefined 15h39

undefined undefined 31 décembre 2023 undefined 08h38

The Editor

André Kertész (1894-1985), Jardin des Tuileries, Paris, 1963. © Donation André Kertész, ministère de la Culture, MPP, diff. RMN-GP

For the first time, the photographs of photographers André Kertész and Jacques Henri Lartigue are coming together in dialogue at the Espace Richaud in Versailles. A journey in 5 chapters to discover the work of these major photographers of the 20th century from a new perspective.

At the heart of the majestic Espace Richaud chapel, approximately 185 photographs and archival documents are on display, creating bridges between two worlds whose works intersect and merge. The exhibition Kertész-Lartigue. Un pas de côté, co-produced by the Heritage and Photography Media Library and the Lartigue Donation, can be discovered from February 15th to May 14th at the Espace Richaud.

Jacques Henri Lartigue (1894-1986), Marcelle Paolucci surnommée Coco, Hendaye, 1934 Photographie Jacques Henri Lartigue © Ministère de la Culture, MPP-AAJHL
Jacques Henri Lartigue (1894-1986), Marcelle Paolucci nicknamed Coco, Hendaye, 1934 Photograph by Jacques Henri Lartigue © Ministry of Culture, MPP-AAJHL


Parallel artistic journeys

At the heart of...

At the beginning of the journey, we (re)discover the images that made Lartigue famous, the photographer known as the " of flowers and women " and Kerté sz, qualified as the " inventor of photojournalism ". Both born in 1894, they followed different paths and never collaborated together. While Kerté sz quickly gained recognition, Lartigue experienced late success, being identified in 1963 as the " father of Henri Cartier-Bresson ". In the early 1960s, they were successively exhibited at the New York MoMA. 

Jacques Henri Lartigue (1894-1986), René Croquet on a Théo Schneider racing car, 1913. Photograph by Jacques Henri Lartigue © Ministry of Culture, MPP-AAJHL
Jacques Henri Lartigue (1894-1986), René Croquet on a Théo Schneider racing car, 1913. Photograph by Jacques Henri Lartigue © Ministry of Culture, MPP-AAJHL

Works that dialogue with each other

«Because his photos are like cousins to mine, because in his memory, there are twin residues of mine, he talks to me as if I were his brother », writes Jacques Henri Lartigue in The Eye of Memory (1932-1985) about his late encounter with André Kertész in the late 1970s. While Kertész is considered a "cerebral" photographer and Lartigue an "instantaneous" one, there are striking similarities in some of the photographs exhibited in the chapel. From the streets of Paris to those of New York, capturing subjects in mid-flight, they share a mischievous gaze rooted in their time period. 

Throughout their careers, Kertész and Lartigue maintained the ability to take a step to the side and develop a unique aesthetic, detached from the major trends in photography, which brought them fame.

" ```André Kertész (1894-1985), New York 1950 © Donation André Kertész, ministère de la Culture, MPP, diff. RMN-GP
André Kertész (1894-1985), New York 1950 © Donation André Kertész, ministère de la Culture, MPP, diff. RMN-GP

This cultural outing will also be an opportunity to visit the Musée Lambinet in Versailles, which recently reopened after 3 years of renovations. 

Kertész-Lartigue. A step aside
Espace Richaud
78, boulevard de la Reine – Versailles
From February 15th to May 14th 
Prices : €6/€5
Free entry for those under 26 years old
More info on the website