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Carmen Auction

225 - Lucien CLERGUE (1934-2014) - Silver print entitled "Toros Mu…
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Estimate €200 - €400
Sale commission
Description
Lucien CLERGUE (1934-2014) - Silver print entitled "Toros Muertos 1961" reference 203 copy N°6 of 20. Stamped and titled. Folds, stains, marks and tears. 61 x 50 cm "To be born in Arles was, at that time in particular, to be born into the afición, the bullfighting, the "toros". At the time of the Easter Feria, the town seemed to come out of its hibernation, with bull and Camargue horse breeders vying for the running of the arenas. Young boys dream of becoming bullfighters, and many try their hand at it. Lucien Clergue was not immune to this temptation, but soon realised that he was too short-sighted to bullfight. Throughout his life, he would nevertheless see the bulls up close, photographing bullfights from the callejón (the space between the stands and the barricade) in Arles, Nîmes, Béziers, Seville, Madrid and elsewhere. He has written several books on legendary bullfighters. But what sets him apart is one of his very first works: photographing the agony of the bull at ground level under the protective fence. This shows that, after the fight, the animal remains the king of the arena and has the right to be celebrated in the same way as the bullfighter who rises to his feet to the cheers of the crowd. Lucien Clergue liked to say that the idea of photographing the head of a dead bull came to him when he was travelling with his young bullfighting friends, and that he could only find a place for it at the back of the butcher's cart bringing back the animal's body. His first film, Le Drame du taureau (1965, Prix Louis Lumière 1966), shown in the exhibition, was selected for the 1968 Cannes Film Festival, but was unfortunately interrupted by events before the winners were announced. 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 10:48 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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