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)