Lucien Clergue: A Life Through the Lens

New York—Throckmorton Fine Art presents Lucien Clergue: A Life Through the Lens, featuring rare vintage gelatin silver prints by renowned French photographer Lucien Clergue (1934–2014). On view October 1, 2026, through January 16, 2027, the exhibition opens October 1 with a reception from 5 to 8 p.m. and a talk by Clergue’s daughter, Anne Clergue, an Arles-based gallery owner and curator.

Lucien Clergue: A Life Through the Lens brings together 44 vintage prints, from his iconic Nus de la mer (Nudes in the Sea) series to poetic studies of the Camargue marshes, bullfighting motifs, and surrealist compositions. Printed soon after the negatives were exposed, the images showcase Clergue’s command of high-contrast chiaroscuro and rich, tactile tones. Sensual, serene, and timeless, they evoke the Mediterranean and a quieter past while marking the emergence of modern European figurative photography.

Born in Arles, France, Clergue devoted his long photographic career to the interplay between nature and the human form, particularly the female figure. Working mainly in Southern France, he used the region’s intense light to striking effect. He was close to Jean Cocteau and Pablo Picasso, whom he photographed often. A leading advocate for photography as a fine art in France, Clergue co-founded the celebrated Rencontres d’Arles festival in 1970. It has since become a major international photography event, attracting more than 100,000 visitors each summer.

https://throckmorton-nyc.com/project/lucien-clergue-exhibit-a-life-through-the-lens/