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Carmen Auction

115 - Lucien CLERGUE (1934–2014) – Photograph entitled ‘Nu de la p…
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Estimate €100 - €200
Description
Lucien CLERGUE (1934–2014) – Photograph entitled ‘Nu de la plage 1971’, reference 69/12, print no. 3 of 20. Signed, titled and stamped on the reverse. Accidental damage, water stains, tears and creases. 50.5 x 60 cm “Lucien Clergue is said to have photographed nudes to keep his friends close, as they found his photographs of animal carcasses unsettling. His early work was tentative and awkward, but he very quickly came up with the idea of photographing his models on the beaches or in the waves of the Camargue. Photographed in close-up, the bodies of voluptuous women emerge from the waves with boundless joy and vitality, a freshness unprecedented in female nude photography. By removing the faces from the frame, Lucien Clergue gives these bodies a universal dimension. One of his models, Wally Bourdet, would say of him that he photographed women through their own eyes. Photography was only just over a century old in the 1950s. For many, the quest for recognition of this new art form involved drawing parallels with drawing, and the female nude often remained academic in style. Lucien Clergue’s nudes marked a clear break with the prevailing approach to the female nude in photography at the time. These nudes enjoyed immediate success, owing as much to their publication in books – where his photographs accompanied poems by Paul Éluard or Saint-John Perse – as to the sexual liberation of the mid-20th century. The series *Née de la vague* gained a reputation that extended beyond photography enthusiasts alone, becoming as famous as it was popular.” Extract from the exhibition catalogue *Lucien Clergue, Les premiers albums*, an exhibition held at the Grand Palais from 14 November 2015 to 15 February 2016.
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About the sale BID ON IT – FASHION, WINE, CERAMICS & TABLEWARE, GLASSWARE, FURNITURE AND PAINTINGS
Auction location
Auction time 07/13/2026 at 8:00 PM
ID: 87960804
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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