1403 - Hervé, Lucien

Hervé, Lucien Portrait of Walter Gropius. Gelatin silver print, ca. 1960. Dimensions: 16 × 23 cm. Stamped “Hervé” on the reverse. The head-and-shoulders portrait shows Walter Gropius (1883–1969) in profile, facing right. The architect is depicted in his later years, wearing a dark suit with a white shirt and a polka-dot bow tie. His gaze is lowered and pensive. The frame is tight, and the head fills almost the entire portrait format. The harsh side lighting vividly highlights the contours of his face and the texture of his hair. Against the neutral, dark background, the portrait appears focused and serene. Lucien Hervé was born László Elkán in Hungary and had lived in Paris since 1929. From 1949 until Le Corbusier’s death in 1965, he served as his official photographer. Their close collaboration began after he photographed the Unité d’Habitation in Marseille. Hervé also photographed works by Marcel Breuer, Alvar Aalto, Oscar Niemeyer, and Walter Gropius. His style is characterized by strong contrasts, strict cropping, and abstraction. He drew inspiration from the Bauhaus and the avant-garde. In addition to architecture, he also created portraits. Portrait of Walter Gropius. Gelatin silver print, circa 1960. Size: 16 × 23 cm. Hervé’s stamp on the reverse. This head-and-shoulders portrait shows Walter Gropius (1883–1969) in profile, facing right. The architect appears to be of advanced age, wearing a dark suit, a white shirt, and a polka-dot bow tie. His gaze is lowered and pensive. The framing is tight, and the head fills almost the entire vertical format. Harsh, raking light sculpts the face and the texture of the hair into a three-dimensional relief. Set against a neutral, dark background, the portrait feels focused and calm. Lucien Hervé was born László Elkán in Hungary and lived in Paris from 1929. From 1949 until Le Corbusier’s death in 1965, he served as Le Corbusier’s official photographer. A close collaboration began after Hervé photographed the Unité d’Habitation in Marseille. He also photographed works by Marcel Breuer, Alvar Aalto, Oscar Niemeyer, and Walter Gropius. His style is characterized by strong contrasts, austere cropping, and abstraction, and he drew inspiration from the Bauhaus and the avant-garde. In addition to architecture, he also took portraits. This lot is subject to standard tax. A 24.95% buyer’s premium applies to the hammer price, and 7% (Books and Art) or 19% VAT (Manuscripts, Screenprints, Offset Prints, Photographs) applies to the final invoice amount within the European Union. This lot is subject to standard taxation. A 24.95% buyer’s premium applies to the hammer price, and 7% (books and art) or 19% VAT (manuscripts, screen prints, offset prints, and photographs) applies to the final invoice amount within the European Union.