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CURRENT EXHIBITION:

Extended through August 14, 2010

Preview the Exhibition Here

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Louis Klaitman Fine Photographs and Robert Tat Gallery present a selection of classic images by two photographers whose lives and careers were intertwined. Horst P. Horst and George Hoyningen-Huene are icons of 20th-century art and fashion. Together, they virtually redefined photographic elegance.

Horst and Huene first met in 1930. Trained as an art student in Germany, Horst had come to Paris to apprentice with Le Corbusier. To his disappointment, he found the great architect a stiff and un-giving figure. Wandering about Paris cafes in search of something more vital, he encountered Huene, to whom he took an immediate liking. To Horst's surprise the feeling was returned by the older Huene. Soon the two men were seen everywhere together, and eventually became lovers.

Horst started visiting his companion at the Vogue studio, where he lent a hand assembling and lighting sets. Horst also occasionally modeled for Huene, featured in a number of his most celebrated compositions (for example, the Two Swimmers). Huene often took Horst to visit friends outside Paris. These trips abroad, whether for work or pleasure, exposed Horst to his companion’s worldly attributes while giving him a sense of the role of the professional fashion photographer.

In the spring of 1931 Horst was given an opportunity by Vogue’s American art director, Dr Agha, who was visiting Paris. Horst put Huene's instruction to the test and to his delight, his first photograph was published in the magazine that November. His work was praised and Horst was given additional responsibility. When Huene eventually left Vogue for good, it was Horst who inherited his mantle.

The exhibition at Robert Tat Gallery (which comes from Louis Klaitman’s large collection of prints) features a selection of Horst and Hune’s iconic photographs -- including: Mainboucher Corset, Round The Clock I, Divers (Horst & Model), Horst Torso, Male Nude, and Lisa With Harp – as well as lesser-known but equally stunning photographs.

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GEORGE HOYNINGEN-HUENE (1900-1968) was born into the privileged world of the Russian aristocracy at the turn of the century. In Paris he worked for Vogue, first as an illustrator and then as becoming their extremely successful fashion photographer. He created unprecedented images of perfect elegance by means of models, clothes and above all, the manipulation of light. His style and technique were shaped by his contact with the artistic milieu of 1920s Paris, including his collaboration with Man Ray, and by the influence of the photographers Edward Steichen and Baron de Meyer.

Later, Huene extended his range to portraiture and travel, capturing artists, composers, Hollywood stars, working as a color coordinator for director George Cukor’s films, and the landscapes of Africa, Greece, Egypt and Mexico in timeless visions of classical harmony.

Hoyningen-Huene was fond of quoting a remark by Coco Chanel: "L'Elégance c'est moi.” It applies perfectly to his own work, some of the finest and most influential photography of the twentieth century.

HORST P. HORST (1906-1999), born in Germany, became one of the world's most influential fashion photographers. Putting his unforgettable stamp on the international Vogue magazine of the 1938s and '40s, he soon became known for his extravagantly beautiful fashion photographs as well as exquisite still lifes and nudes. Later, he created renowned portraits of such luminaries as Gertrude Stein, Katharine Hepburn, Jean Cocteau and Coco Chanel.

One of Horst’s great iconic photos of the Twentieth-Century is "The Mainbocher Corset" with its erotically charged mystery, made in Vogue’s Paris studio in 1939. His work frequently reflects his interest in surrealism and his regard of the ancient Greek ideal of physical beauty.

Horst’s method of work typically entailed his use of lighting to separate out the critical subject: he frequently used four spotlights, often one of them pointing down from the ceiling. Only rarely do his photos include shadows falling on the background, and he almost never used filters.

(Note: This material has been adapted from Martin Kazmaier’s text in “Horst: Sixty Years of Photography” published by Universe, 1996 and from “The Photographic Art of Hoyningen-Huene” by William A. Ewing, Thames and Husdon, 1986.)

Preview the Exhibition Here

Robert Tat has a special interest in 20th century European and American Modernism. This includes classic modernism (photographs made between the two World Wars), and extends to a broader range of work influenced by the modernist school. It also encompasses 19th century photographs that anticipate modernism, vernacular and other anonymous works with a modernist sensibility, and contemporary works.

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We are always looking for fine photographs to purchase or consign. If you have photographs you would like to sell, please contact us.

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If you are looking for a particular photographic image, works by a specific photographer or a certain style of photograph, please contact us with your request. If we don't have it in inventory we'll be pleased to search for you. We have resources for photographic material all over the world.

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What is a Salon photograph?
Numerous camera clubs around the world sponsor regular exhibitions, called salons, where members of other clubs compete to show work. The salons during the first half of the 20th century were particularly rich, featuring the work of many artists who later became famous. We take a special interest in the the works of lesser known salon photographers, often serious amateurs or commercial professionals doing their own work on the side. Their photographs are frequently beautifully composed and crafted, with an aesthetic and print quality rivaling that of the celebrated artists of the day. Many collectors appreciate salon work for these reasons -- and because it is more reasonably priced than works by better known artists. Salon prints may bear exhibition labels or stamps on the reverse of the photograph's mount, indicating awards or other participation in various salons.

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What is a Vernacular photograph?
The term "vernacular" literally means "of the commonplace." In photography collecting, it refers to photographs which were made without artistic intent. This includes commercial photographs, personal snapshots and albums, historical images, scientific photographs, etc. Many collectors find vernacular images interesting, both for subject matter and for the occasional image that has an aesthetic appeal, albeit unintentional.

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What is a Found Image?
Our Found Images are specially selected snapshots screened with the same criteria as a fine art photograph: artistic appeal, engaging or emotional subject matter, and print quality. We search through about 1000 pieces to find one "gem in the rough" that meets our standards. There is growing interest in collecting snapshots and a new appreciation of them as art, with several fine arts museums mounting exhibitions during the past few years. Found Images from Robert Tat's collection were exhibited at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in 1998 as part of their "Snapshots: The Photography of Everyday Life" show.

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