Helmut Newton: glamour and seduction in images

Since Helmut Newton’s death (1920–2004), there has been no retrospective of his work in France, although he did much of his work there, particularly for the French edition of Vogue. Now the Grand Palais (Paris, France) organizes the first exhibition of his photography. Provocative, sometimes shocking, Newton’s work tried to capture the beauty, eroticism, humour –and sometimes violence– that he sensed in the social interaction within the familiar worlds of fashion, luxury, money and power.

The exhibition brings together more than two hundred photographs, mostly original or vintage prints made under Helmut Newton’s supervision: Polaroids, working prints in various sizes, monumental works.

Through the major themes in his work: fashion, nudes, portraits, sex and humour, the exhibition seeks to show that Newton was much more than a fashion photographer. His photography shook off all constraints, even though he often worked within the rigid framework of fashion and portraiture. His work is eminently classical, fitting into a very broad view of art. It experiments freely with themes and formats, and presents a unique vision of the contemporary female body.

Date: until June 17.
Location: Grand Palais. Galerie sud-est. Avenue Winston-Churchill. 75008. París. France
Opening hours: from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10am to 6pm. Thursdays, from 10am to 10pm.