Signed in ink (recto), titled, dated, numbered and copyrighted (verso)
Lucien Clergue’s Neverais II (1980) is a powerful gelatin silver print that captures the intense moment of a bullfighter in mid-action, face-to-face with a charging bull. The photograph freezes a split-second of high drama and tension in the bullring, highlighting the grace and danger of the bullfighting ritual. The composition is marked by strong contrasts: the bullfighter’s elaborate costume and poised stance contrast sharply with the raw power and movement of the bull. Clergue, known for his photographic storytelling and keen eye for dramatic composition, captures the energy and emotion of the scene, inviting viewers to confront the complex, often controversial nature of bullfighting. Signed on the front and further detailed on the back, the print measures 29.5 x 39.3 cm.
Lucien Clergue (France, 1934–2014) was a celebrated photographer known for his black-and-white images of nudes, landscapes, and Mediterranean culture. A close friend of Pablo Picasso, his work combined poetic composition with striking contrasts of light and shadow. Clergue was the first photographer elected to the Académie des Beaux-Arts in France.
Gelatin Silver PrintA silver gelatin print is a type of photographic print made using the silver process. In this process, photographic materials such as black and white films and printing papers are coated with a light-sensitive emulsion of silver salts suspended in gelatin. This emulsion is applied to a support, which could be flexible plastic, glass, resin-coated paper, or baryta paper. The materials are light-sensitive and remain stable under normal storage conditions, making them ideal for long-term preservation.
Signed in ink (recto), titled, dated, numbered and copyrighted (verso)
Lucien Clergue’s Neverais II (1980) is a powerful gelatin silver print that captures the intense moment of a bullfighter in mid-action, face-to-face with a charging bull. The photograph freezes a split-second of high drama and tension in the bullring, highlighting the grace and danger of the bullfighting ritual. The composition is marked by strong contrasts: the bullfighter’s elaborate costume and poised stance contrast sharply with the raw power and movement of the bull. Clergue, known for his photographic storytelling and keen eye for dramatic composition, captures the energy and emotion of the scene, inviting viewers to confront the complex, often controversial nature of bullfighting. Signed on the front and further detailed on the back, the print measures 29.5 x 39.3 cm.
Lucien Clergue (France, 1934–2014) was a celebrated photographer known for his black-and-white images of nudes, landscapes, and Mediterranean culture. A close friend of Pablo Picasso, his work combined poetic composition with striking contrasts of light and shadow. Clergue was the first photographer elected to the Académie des Beaux-Arts in France.
Look, I am photographing my tomb!
- Lucien Clergue
Lucien Clergue (b. 1934 France, d. 2014 France) was a celebrated French photographer, known for his pioneering contributions to art photography. Clergue’s work is renowned for its poetic and evocative imagery, particularly his nudes, portraits, and studies of nature. He gained early recognition with his striking black-and-white photographs of nudes, which capture the human form with a sense of sculptural beauty and abstraction. Clergue was also deeply connected to the world of bullfighting and the landscapes of the Camargue, themes that frequently appeared in his work. A close friend of Pablo Picasso, Clergue’s photography often reflects a dialogue between photography and other forms of visual art. As a co-founder of the Rencontres d'Arles photography festival in 1970, Clergue played a crucial role in elevating photography to the status of fine art in France and beyond. (Artist website)
Abstract art uses form, shape, line, and color to create a visual experience without attempting to represent external reality. The composition exists independently of the world's visual references, focusing on expressing ideas and emotions through non-representational means.