Timeless and timeless beauty from Dutch photographer Bart van Leeuwen

When the still very young Bart van Leeuwen showed his first series of works to the editor of a fashion magazine, the editor irritably sent him away. He said that it was unclear in what year and why these pictures were taken and that the publication did not need them. To which van Leeuwen unexpectedly replied: "Thank you for the compliment!" Recognition of his works as extraordinary was the highest praise for the photographer.

A few years later, Bart van Leeuwen was known all over the world, and his "thing" was his unusual approach to work. The Dutchman's photographs are like documentary ones, they are very cinematic and at the same time "timeless". They could have been taken in the 40s or last week.

When van Leeuwen was 13, he was struck by the portraits of people in a book dedicated to an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In his later years, the photographer wrote about these emotions in his book:

About a year later, his mother gave him a camera for his birthday and Bart began his climb to the top. At the age of 17, his work was published by the Dutch underground magazine Hitweek. In 1969, van Leeuwen received a diploma in applied photography from the University of Applied Photography in The Hague.

Bart van Leeuwen had a unique style. His assistant recalled how the photographer would rush around the street crowd, looking for the right angle. He used only short-focus lenses and neglected tripods. The master also did not use filters or wide-angle lenses.

The photographer was impulsive and unpredictable. He could take models out of town in the middle of the night and shoot them on horseback by a campfire. Or make a decision in a few hours and go to Morocco for a shoot. Van Leeuwen confidently used any chance events that fate presented in his work, turning them into unique stories.

Van Leeuwen traveled all over the world, but always returned to his native Amsterdam. There he died at the age of 67. A couple of years before his death, the master was forced to give up photography due to a serious illness. But the illness did not stop him from writing books, giving lectures and conducting master classes. The photographer passed away with many open projects and plans.

Bart van Leeuwen's photographs are valued today as works of contemporary art. They are kept in the collections of fashion designers and movie stars. Several of the photographer's works can be seen at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh.

Bart van Leeuwen's photographs are a journey through time, where eras blend and emotions remain eternal. What do you think makes a photo truly "timeless"? Share your thoughts!