lucien clergue
Lucien Clergue, 1975, Photograph by Wolfgang H. Wögerer
Born in Arles, France in 1934, Lucien Clergue is remembered today as one of the most pioneering and preeminent photographers of the twentieth century. Clergue, the son of shopkeepers, began informally studying photography in 1948. In 1953, the young artist met Pablo Picasso at a bullfight in Arles. On this occasion, Clergue showed his photographs to Picasso and the two artists became friendly. Their close friendship lasted until Picasso’s death in 1973. Picasso, who acted as a mentor and sponsor for Clergue, introduced the young photographer to a cosmopolitan and avant-garde social scene, which included figures like Jean Cocteau, Paul Éluard, and Max Ernst. In 1957, Clergue published his first book entitled Corps mémorable. In 1961, his photographs were exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. In 1969, alongside Jean-Maurice Rouquette and Michel Tournier, Clergue established the Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie d’Arles. Later in life, Clergue taught at the University of Provence and at the New School in New York City. Additionally, Clergue became the first photographer to be elected a member of the Académie des Beaux Arts in Paris in 2006.
