A journey through over 100 unpublished and iconic shots that juxtaposes and parallels the works of Lartigue and Kertész, two extraordinary artists, each in their own way essential to the evolution of modern photography.
The exhibition, presented for the first time in Italy, offers a unique opportunity to immerse oneself in the world of these two artists who, while following distinct personal paths, captured the intensity and poetry of everyday life.
A journey through over 100 unpublished and iconic shots that juxtaposes and parallels the works of Lartigue and Kertész, two extraordinary artists, each in their own way essential to the evolution of modern photography.
For John Szarkowski, the esteemed director of the Photography Department at the MoMA in New York, Lartigue is ‘the precursor of every interesting and lively creation made over the course of the 20th century.’ Henri Cartier-Bresson, on the other hand, regarded Kertész as his master: ‘whatever we do, Kertész did it first.’
Leggi tuttoJacques Henri Lartigue, a French photographer known for his carefree and vibrant shots, captured the fleeting beauty of existence through images that celebrate moments of joy and lightness.
André Kertész, a Hungarian photographer, explored the nuances of reality with a refined eye, seeking shadows, light, and urban geometries that reveal the more introspective side of modern life.
The exhibition is organized into four thematic sections, along with an introductory and biographical one, exploring the recurring themes in the works of both artists: from Kertész’s introspection and observation of city life to Lartigue’s depiction of joy, dynamism, and spontaneity.
Viewers will be able to admire Lartigue’s famous shots capturing the Parisian Belle Époque and Kertész’s photographs that immortalize the essence of cities like Budapest, Paris, and New York, each reflected in a poetic and nostalgic light.
Comparing their photographs allows to reveal the similarities and differences in their lives and perspectives, serving as the keystone of a unique exhibition that brings together the most iconic images of two of the greatest photographers of the twentieth century-witnesses and extraordinary interpreters of the ‘short century.’
The exhibition, curated by Marion Perceval and Matthieu Rivallin, is promoted by the City of Riccione and organized by Civita Mostre e Musei in collaboration with diChroma photography and Rjma Progetti Culturali.
Jacques Henri Lartigue (1894–1986) and André Kertész (1894–1985) were born in the same year and both lived through nearly the entire twentieth century.
Lartigue was born into a wealthy French family, thanks to which he owned a camera from a young age. He was an artist who expressed himself not only through photography but also through painting and writing.
Of Hungarian Jewish origin, Kertész began photographing at a very young age. He moved to France in 1925. The success of the press and critics was immediate, but in 1936 he moved again, this time to the United States.
During the interwar period, they could have crossed paths in Paris, but they met for the first time only in 1972 in New York, where they had exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in 1963 and 1964, respectively.
These two exhibitions were turning points in their careers, marking the beginning of international and institutional recognition for Lartigue and a rediscovery of Kertész’s work after two more challenging decades.
Furthermore, these exhibitions identified both as forerunners of the visual modernity of the early twentieth century and pioneers of modern photography.
Leggi tuttoLartigue is described as an amateur photographer and Kertész as the inventor of photojournalism, with each having a unique aesthetic.
Lartigue is considered a master of the snapshot, often capturing his surroundings, characterized by sophisticated extravagance and carefree cosmopolitanism.
His mantra was the pursuit of happiness. Kertész is a master of reflective photography, a key figure in what would later be known as ‘humanist photography.’
His distinctive style is tied to the simpler sides of everyday life, with intimate and lyrical tones.
Neither Lartigue nor Kertész took the ‘easier’ path to recognition. They pursued their craft with the utmost freedom, outside major artistic movements.
From the 1970s onward, these two independent figures, despite never being members of a school or creating their own artistic trend, came to be regarded as models.
For both, their later years were marked by exhibitions, publications, and encounters. Their paths are similar, and their works, drawing from the same sources, are able to converse with each other.
Renowned for different – even opposing reasons – both became reference points for young artists. Invited to the Rencontres d’Arles, they were welcomed as masters.
They continued to photograph, retracing their steps or exploring new directions with a sense of pure visual play.
Despite their success, the two never ceased to experiment. Self-taught pioneers of modern photography, they built their bodies of work in their own ways, following parallel or divergent paths, but always, systematically, on the fringes of mainstream currents, always taking ‘a step aside.’
Both gave their photographs a timeless quality that explains the ever-renewed interest in their work. Singular figures in the history of photography, these two artists achieved this paradox: without direct artistic descendants, without belonging to any movement, they became beloved models and iconic figures in the history of photography.
Info and reservations
www.civita.art
Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Closed on Mondays (unless it’s a holiday)
Ticket office closes half an hour before exhibition closing time
Holidays Hours
December 24th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
From 26 December to 6 January 2025 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Closed on 25 December
Ticket office closes half an hour before exhibition closing time
Audio guide included with admission ( ita – eng )
Open ticket € 13.00
Standard ticket € 12.00
Discounted ticket € 10.00
Available for groups of at least 12 persons, holders of specially granted concession cards
Special discounted ticket € 5.00
Available for schools and visitors under 24
Free Admission
Available for children under 6, 2 accompanying teachers, disabled people and accompanying persons
Reservation fee € 1.00 per person
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