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223 - Lucien CLERGUE (1934-2014) - Silver print titled "Nu de lame…
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Estimate €200 - €400
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Description
Lucien CLERGUE (1934-2014) - Silver print titled "Nu de lamer 1959" reference 462, copy N° 4 of 20. Stamped, titled and signed. Bends, missing parts, stains. 50 x 60 cm "Lucien Clergue would say that he photographed nudes to keep his friends who found his photographs of animal corpses sinister. His beginnings were shy and awkward, but he soon had the idea of photographing his models on the beaches or in the waves of the Camargue. Photographed in close-up, the bodies of generously-shaped women rise from the waves with infinite joy and vitality, a freshness unheard of 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, said of him that he photographed women with their own eyes. Photography was only just over a century old in the 1950s. At the time, the quest for recognition of this new art form often involved a rapprochement with drawing, and the female nude often remained academic. Lucien Clergue's nudes marked a clear break with the then prevailing way of treating the female nude in photography. These nudes were an immediate success, due as much to their publication in books, where his photos accompanied poems by Paul Éluard or Saint-John Perse, as to the sexual liberation of the mid-twentieth century. The Née de la vague series acquired a notoriety that extended beyond photography enthusiasts, becoming as famous as it was popular." Extract from the exhibition catalogue "Lucien Clergue, Les premiers albums" exhibition held at the Grand Palais from 14 November 2015 to 15 February 2016.
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About the sale DICIOTTESIMO E MODERNO - Jewellery, fashion, design & antique furniture.
Auction location
Auction time 06/06/2026 at 2:30 PM
Lot description modified on 06/05/2026 at 10:55 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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