Lucien Clergue facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lucien Clergue
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Clergue on occasion of the retrospective, Vienna, 2007.
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| Born | 14 August 1934 |
| Died | 15 November 2014 (aged 80) Nîmes, France
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| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | Photographer |
Lucien Clergue (born August 14, 1934 – died November 15, 2014) was a famous French photographer. He was the leader of the Academy of Fine Arts in Paris in 2013.
Contents
Early Life and Photography
Lucien Clergue was born in Arles, a city in France. When he was seven years old, he started learning to play the violin. After many years, his teacher said he had taught him everything he knew. Lucien's family owned shops, so they couldn't afford for him to go to a special music school.
In 1949, he learned how to take pictures. Four years later, in 1953, he went to a bullfight in Arles. He showed his photos to the famous Spanish painter Pablo Picasso. Picasso was quiet, but he asked to see more of Lucien's work.
For the next year and a half, young Lucien worked hard on his photography. He wanted to send more pictures to Picasso. During this time, he took photos of traveling performers like acrobats and harlequins. He called this series "Saltimbanques." He also took pictures of carrion, which are dead animals.
Friendship with Pablo Picasso
On November 4, 1955, Lucien Clergue visited Picasso in Cannes, France. Their friendship lasted for almost 30 years, until Picasso passed away. Lucien Clergue wrote a book about their friendship called Picasso My Friend. It shares important moments they spent together.
Starting the Rencontres d’Arles Photography Festival
In 1968, Lucien Clergue and his friend Michel Tournier started a photography festival. It is called the Rencontres d’Arles and happens every July in Arles. Lucien showed his own photos at the festival many times over the years.
Lucien Clergue also created pictures for books, including one by writer Yves Navarre. He took many photos of the Romani (often called gypsies) who lived in southern France. He also helped the guitarist Manitas de Plata become famous.
Lucien Clergue's photographs are now in many well-known museums and private collections. His work has been shown in over 100 solo exhibitions around the world. One important show was in 1961 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. This was the last show organized by Edward Steichen and featured Lucien Clergue, Bill Brandt, and Yasuhiro Ishimoto.
Some museums with many of his photos include The Fogg Museum at Harvard University and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. His work, Fontaines du Grand Palais, is in the Museo cantonale d'arte in Lugano. His photos of Jean Cocteau are always on display at the Jean Cocteau Museum in Menton, France.
In 2007, the city of Arles honored Lucien Clergue. They showed a special collection of 360 of his photos from 1953 to 2007. He also won the 2007 Lucie Award for his photography.
Joining the Academy of Fine Arts
In 2003, Lucien Clergue was named a Knight of the Légion d'honneur. This is a very important award in France. On May 31, 2006, he was chosen to be a member of the Academy of Fine Arts. This happened when the Academy created a new section just for photography. Lucien Clergue was the very first photographer to join the Academy in a spot made specifically for photography.
He was the Chairman (leader) of the Academy of Fine Arts in 2013.
Family Life
Lucien Clergue was married to Yolande Clergue. She was an art curator and started The Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles. They had two daughters. Anne Clergue is a curator of modern art. Olivia Clergue is a fashion designer who makes handbags. Her godfather was Pablo Picasso.
See also
In Spanish: Lucien Clergue para niños
