Frank Horvat: Paris, the world, fashion, the photo exhibition unveiled at the Jeu de Paume - final days

Renowned photographer Frank Horvat is at the heart of the Jeu de Paume exhibition, from June 16 to September 17, 2023. Come and admire "Frank Horvat: Paris, the world, fashion".

A great traveler, Frank Horvat wandered through Pakistan, India, Egypt, Japan, the United States, Brazil, Australia... He was the photographer of intimacy, the photographer of the festive and licentious nights of Paris, the photographer of 1960s fashion... Frank Horvat was a multi-faceted artist, one of the great names of his generation. The Jeu de Paume pays tribute to this man, who passed away in 2020, with a major retrospective organized from June 16 to September 17, 2023.

To mark the final days of this exhibition, the Jeu de Paume invites us to (re)discover it by night, until 9 pm, on September 11, 12 and 13, 2023.

Entitled Frank Horvat: Paris, the World, Fashion, this photo exhibition brings together 170 photographs and 70 archival documents, recounting the first 15 years of the photographer's career, from 1950 to 1965. The exhibition offers a new perspective on the artist's work and personality.

In 1951, hoping to join Henri Cartier-Bresson's Magnum photographic agency, Frank Horvat bought a camera and set off halfway around the world to document the daily lives of Pakistanis and Indians. The photographer's talent already set him apart from his colleagues: he captured intimate scenes, intense moments, in forbidden places. He became known as the photographer of the body and the confidential.

With his trusty camera, he returned to Paris in 1955, where he was attracted by the lights of the capital's cabarets, music halls, strip clubs and brothels. Here, too, he immortalizes these hectic, sometimes nude, nights.

Armed with a new camera, Frank Horvat experimented and had fun: he captured never-before-seen images of Paris, playing with contrast, saturation, grain effects, crowds... These unusual shots attracted the attention of various art directors, who introduced him to the world of fashion.

Frank Horvat's fashion photographs quickly became famous, including Monique Dutto exiting the metro, Nico in the Bois de Boulogne, Ana Karina at Les Halles, Tan Arnold at Le Chien qui fume... He published in the leading magazines of the day, including Vogue and Harper's Bazaar.

In the early 1960s, this traveler wanted to regain his freedom, so he flew to the four corners of the globe to produce a major photo report. These black-and-white shots bear witness to his favorite subjects, his inspirations and his fascinations. They feature unveiled bodies, night scenes, the interplay between photographer and subject... These images reveal as much about the world as they do about the photographer.

The Jeu de Paume exhibition introduces us to an artist of exceptional talent, who has succeeded in highlighting the beauty of the world, in its simplicity, its everyday life. His reports from around the world open the doors to distant, yet familiar countries, depending on the scenes captured by the photographer. These small moments immortalized by the artist are proof of a shared humanity: we discover children playing, a woman putting on make-up, people dancing, reading, living.

During his time in the world of fashion, Frank Horvat brought a touch of life and gaiety to his subjects. The images are beautiful, because they celebrate joy, naturalness and the beauty to be found everywhere...

To discover and appreciate Frank Horvat's talent, come and see the Jeu de Paume exhibition this summer!