Outstanding photography by Horst P. Horst
On November 18, 1999, at the age of 93, the famous photographer of German origin, Horst P. Horst, the author of the famous photograph of the “girl in a corset”, passed away. Horst entered the history of the 20th century as the greatest master of fashion and portrait photography and one of the creators of erotic photography in its modern form. Over 60 years of his career, he has become a truly legendary figure, and his work is synonymous with elegance, style and sophisticated glamour. Today we have collected for you the outstanding works of the author.
(Total 20 photos)
1. Horst Paul Albert Bormann was born in 1906 in the city of Weissenfels, Germany, in the family of a wealthy merchant. Already in his early youth, he met the dancer Evan Weidman at his aunt's house, which largely determined his interest in avant-garde art. In the photo: a shot from the famous series “Dial” (Round the Clock), 1987.
2. However, at first, photography was of little interest to Horst. He studied carpentry and furniture making at the Hamburg School of Applied Arts and was passionate about architecture. In 1930, Horst moved to Paris to study architecture under his idol, the famous Le Corbusier.
3. Horst soon met a young Vogue photographer, Baron Georgy Goyningen-Hühne, becoming his model, assistant, and rumored lover. Already in 1931, he himself began to collaborate with Vogue.
4. In 1932, the first exhibition of a young photographer was held in Paris. The exhibition received rave reviews in The New Yorker magazine, thanks to which it became known not only in Europe, but also in America. So Horst P. Horst suddenly "woke up famous", overnight becoming a real star of fashion photography.
5. In the same year, he made a portrait of actress Bette Davis, which became the first in the list of celebrity photographs, which was replenished throughout the life of the master.
6. In 1935, Horst becomes the chief artist of French Vogue. Later, for many, the name of Horst and the concept of "Vogue style" will become synonymous. In the photo: a shot from the famous series “Dial” (Round the Clock).
7. Horst's photographs are a brilliant play of light and shadow. He worked almost exclusively in the studio, where he could create the necessary lighting himself, and almost never used filters.
8. Models in his works are often associated with ancient statues: Horst even made girls go to the Louvre, so that they would be imbued with plasticity and gracefulness there. According to the photographer, the main technical problem that his colleagues have to overcome is the tightness of the model; the rest can always be handled with ease.
9. Horst paid a lot of attention to details, often very catchy and unexpected: “In my best work there is always a little mess: for example, a dirty ashtray,” the photographer said.
10. In 1936, Horst creates one of his most famous "fashion" sketches - "White Sleeve" and shoots Lisa Fonssagrive (pictured), who will become his favorite model for a long time.
11. In 1937, Horst first met Coco Chanel. He truly admired this outstanding woman, called her "the queen of everything" and was ready to photograph anything for Madame.
12. In September 1939, Horst took his most famous photograph, the Mainbocher Corset, which made a splash. This work is considered to be the pinnacle of eroticism in photography.
13. And the following year, Horst takes the first nude photo with the same model - "Lara with a harp."
14. In the 40s, Horst moved to America and received US citizenship. His American passport already contains the name under which he entered the history of photography - Horst P. Horst.
15. Marlene Dietrich's famous 1942 series of photographic portraits captured the actress in thought: this work has become a classic of glamor portraiture. According to the actress, none of the other photographers so whitened the skin and concealed even the slightest flaws in the figure.
16. During the war years, the photographer faced a difficult choice between his birthplace - Germany - and the new homeland - the United States. In July 1943, Horst joined the US Army and worked as a war photographer for an army magazine, but this work was not widely circulated.
17. After the war, the approach to fashion photography changed somewhat - studio shooting was replaced by photographs stylized as a reportage. And Horst switched to portrait photographs of international bohemia.
18. In 1945, Horst is invited to the White House, where he photographs US President Harry Truman, who would later become his real friend. In the post-war period, Horst made portraits of each new First Lady of the country. Pictured: Jackie Kennedy, 1953.
19. Horst continued to shoot until 1992, when his eyesight deteriorated dramatically. In the photo: one of the author's later works - "Eve with a Rose", 1988.
20. Today, Horst is one of the most expensive photographers of the 20th century, the prices for his original author's prints, which are very rare on the market, are constantly growing and fluctuating around $10,000. In the photo: another shot from the famous series “Dial” (Round the Clock), 1987.
Keywords: Glamour | Portrait | Style | Photographer