Lucien Lorelle (December 29, 1894 – February 26, 1968) was a French portraitist, publicist, humanist photographer, author, painter, a member of
Le Groupe des XV and founder of the photography company Central Color.
Biography
Lucien Lorelle, was born on December 29, 1894.
After having voluntarily enlisted, he served in the Infantry and then in the Air Force. He received the
Croix de Guerre and the
Légion d'honneur
The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
.
In 1920 Lorelle found work as the administrator of the Manuel brothers’ art portrait studio, but did not practice photography.
Professional and artistic photographer
In 1927, having taught himself to use a camera, with his brother-in-law Marcel Amson he founded a portrait business, the Studio Lorelle, 47 Boulevard Berthier, Paris,
asking Czech
Jaroslav Rössler
Jaroslav Rössler (25 May 1902 – 5 January 1990) was a Czech photographer. He was a pioneer of Czech avant-garde photography and a member of the association of Czechs, Czech avant-garde artists Devětsil.
Biography
Rössler was born on 25 May ...
in December to join the enterprise as an advertising photographer just as the latter had planned to migrate to the United States. The German photographer Erna Wagner-Hehmke was also employed there. He sold the studio to Marcel Amson in 1932.
Lorelle opened his own studio in 1935 in rue Lincoln to specialise in
advertising photography, and initiated his own
Surrealist
Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...
artistic work incorporating
photomontage and
collage
Collage (, from the , "to glue" or "to stick together") is a technique of art creation, primarily used in the visual arts, but in music too, by which art results from an assembly of different forms, thus creating a new whole. (Compare with pasti ...
and frequently the subject of the female
nude
Nudity is the state of being in which a human is without clothing. While estimates vary, for the first 90,000 years of pre-history, anatomically modern humans were naked, having lost their body hair, living in hospitable climates, and no ...
. When Jean Mauclair opened cinema Studio 28 Lorelle created the poster, and about fifty surrealist images which he presented as a slide show during the intermission of the screening of
Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel Portolés (; 22 February 1900 – 29 July 1983) was a Spanish and Mexican filmmaker who worked in France, Mexico and Spain. He has been widely considered by many film critics, historians and directors to be one of the greatest and ...
's 1929 Surrealist masterpiece ''
Un Chien Andalou'' ('An Andalusian Dog').
Advertising campaigns for which he was commissioned included those for L'Oréal's Ambre Solaire,
BP,
Chanel,
Cinzano
Cinzano () is an Italian brand of vermouth, a brand owned since 1999 by Campari Group, Gruppo Campari.
History
Cinzano vermouths date back to 1757 and the Turin herbal shop of two brothers, Giovanni Giacomo and Carlo Stefano Cinzano, who creat ...
,
Galeries Lafayette (with
Cassandre),
L'Oreal,
Perrier,
Pernod
Pernod Ricard () is a French company best known for its anise-flavoured pastis apéritifs Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis (often referred to simply as ''Pernod (brand), Pernod'' or ''Ricard (liqueur), Ricard''). The world's second-largest wine and ...
(including some posters with
Jean Carlu),
Philips
Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), simply branded Philips, is a Dutch multinational health technology company that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, its world headquarters have been situated in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarter ...
,
SNCF
The Société nationale des chemins de fer français (, , SNCF ) is France's national State-owned enterprise, state-owned railway company. Founded in 1938, it operates the Rail transport in France, country's national rail traffic along with th ...
, Teppaz,
Winston and
Shell
Shell may refer to:
Architecture and design
* Shell (structure), a thin structure
** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses
Science Biology
* Seashell, a hard outer layer of a marine ani ...
. Especially well-known is the advertising Lorelle produced at the end of the 1940s for which the model Suzy Bastide became "Miss Ambre Solaire"; a life-size cut-out of her bikini-clad and tanned body stood at the entrance of the shops and pharmacies of French seaside resorts until the end of the 50s. One of these point-of-sale figurines was lent by L'Oréal to
Jean (Yann) Dieuzaide for his Lucien Lorelle tribute exhibition of 1996. Bastide was also the model for some of Lorelle's Surrealist nudes.
A number of artists and celebrities of his time were photographed by Lorelle, including
Annabella
Annabella, Anabella, or Anabela is a feminine given name. Notable people with the name include:
*Annabella of Scotland (c. 1433–1509), daughter of King James I
*Annabella (actress) (1907–1996), stage name of French actress Suzanne Georgette C ...
(1930),
Marie Glory (c.1930),
Martine Carol,
Dominique Wilms,
Micheline Presle,
Danielle Darrieux,
Albert Préjean, Jacqueline Huet,
Jean Cocteau
Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau ( , ; ; 5 July 1889 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, film director, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost avant-garde artists of the 20th-c ...
,
Gérard Philipe,
Madeleine Robinson,
Madeleine Sologne,
Serge Reggiani,
Jean Marais,
Michel Simon,
Jean Gabin, and
Michel Galabru.
Lorelle's contributions to the industry were significant; in March 1946, with others, Lorelle founded the professional association
Le Groupe des XV, and in 1952 he formed the Paris company Central Color, the first professional colour laboratory in France, now known as
Central Dupon Images. He turned it over to his daughter Françoise Gallois, who became president of the Central Color Group, and who married former Brigadier General, novelist and politician, Pierre Gallois. The company also operated in
Greenburgh, New York from 1983 to 2001, owned and operated by Lorelle's grandson François Gallois.
Surrealist photographer
From the late 40s Lorelle experimented with Surrealism, especially in his nude studies, and the imagery was sometimes reused in advertising, like his ''Femme en morceaux'' in which a statue of a woman lies broken, which was used in a 1948 magazine promotion for Odorono deodorant with the caption; "Un souffle suffit à renverser l'idole" ("One sniff is enough to topple the idol.") His surrealist artistic photography was often combined with drawing, often through an experimental reworking of negatives treated as
cliché-verre. He made photomontage and would collage drawings with photographs and write or paint on photographic prints
Painter, illustrator
From 1920 until 1957, photography occupied most of his time, but though he was recognised as a photographer, Lorelle aspired to draw and paint. His literary-inspired works often include superimposed drawings. . Aside from the large number of pen drawings in his personal archives are a few of his paintings that he had not destroyed. He regularly participated as an artist and sometimes as President at major exhibitions.
Author
After 1958 Lorelle devoted himself to writing books on colour photography and photography of the nude, with translations into German, English and Spanish and published by Paul Montel. His lecture The ABC of photography was published by
Linguaphone.
Legacy
On February 26, 1968 Lucien Lorelle died in
Megève
Megève (; ) is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Southeastern France with a population of more than 3,000 residents. The town is well known as a ski resort near Mont Blanc in the French Alps. Co ...
,
leaving a body of photographic negatives, paintings, drawings, montages and innumerable texts as well as many books dealing with photography in its technical and artistic aspects.
Publications
* Galerie municipale du château d'eau. (1996). ''Lucien Lorelle, 1894-1968: Toulouse-Place Laganne, janvier 1996. Toulouse: Galerie municipale du château d'eau.''
* Lorelle, L., Bouqueret, C., & Galerie Bouqueret + Lebon. (1992). ''Lucien Lorelle''. Paris: Galerie Bouqueret + Lebon.
* Lorelle, L., Lucien Lorelle (1894-1968), Bièvres., & Musée Francaise de la Photographie, Bièvres. (1979). ''Lucien Lorelle: (1894-1968)'', 15. Februar - 10. April 1979, Musée Francaise de la Photographie, Bièvres. Bievres.
* Lorelle, L. (1977). ''Le Guide du photographe amateur''. Paris: P. Montel.
*
* Mariel, P., Lorelle, L., & Collection Viollet (Paris). (1965). ''Die Schönen von Paris: Quartier latin und St. Germain-des-Prés.'' Bonn: Verlag der europäischen Bücherei H. M. Hieronimi.
* Lorelle, L. (1964). ''La pratique des optima''. Paris: P. Montel.
* Lorelle, L., & Sonntag, W. (1963). ''Akt-Auslese: Ein Querschnitt durch d. internationale Aktfotografie d. Gegenwart''. Bonn: Verl. d. Europäischen Bücherei Hieronimi.
* Lorelle, L. (1962). ''L'art du portrait photographique: Noir-et-blanc et couleur.'' Avec 223 portraites et dessins de l'auteur. Paris: P. Montel.
* Cain, J., & Lorelle, L. (1961). ''Salon international du portrait photographique''. Paris: Bibliothèque nationale.
*
*
*
* Lorelle, L. (1950). ''Le portrait photographique''. Paris: Publications Photo-cinéma Paul Montel.
* Lorelle, L., & Langelaan, D. (1949). ''La photographie publicitaire''. Paris: Publications Paul Montel.
* Fraigneau, A., Lorelle, L., Audiat, P., Fernandez, R., Boutillier, . R. A., Gallois, A., & Agence française d'information de presse. (1932).
ecueil. Dossiers biographiques Boutillier du Retail. Documentation sur Jean Blanzat (
ecueil. Dossiers biographiques Boutillier du Retail. Coupures de presse relatives à des personnalités françaises et étrangères) Paris: Le figaro.
* Schmitt, F., Brillant, M., Schneider, L., Samazeuilh, G., Lafollye, J., Chauvet, L., Lorelle, L., ... Boutillier, . R. A. (1924).
ecueil. Dossiers biographiques Boutillier du Retail. Documentation sur Jacques Ibert (
ecueil. Dossiers biographiques Boutillier du Retail. Coupures de presse relatives à des personnalités françaises et étrangères) Paris: La revue de France.
Exhibitions
* 2018: ''Né(e)s de l’Écume et des Rêves'', MUMA,
Le Havre
Le Havre is a major port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the Seine, river Seine on the English Channel, Channe ...
, May 5—Sep 9
* 2012/13: ''Voici Paris - Modernités photographiques, 1920-1950'',
Centre Pompidou
The Centre Pompidou (), more fully the (), also known as the Pompidou Centre in English and colloquially as Beaubourg, is a building complex in Paris, France. It was designed in the style of high-tech architecture by the architectural team of ...
, Paris, Oct 17–Jan 14
* 2012: ''Regards sur le Corps'', Les Baux de Provence, 12ème Festival Européen de la Photo de Nu, May 12–20
* 2012: ''Imaginaire et illusion'', Le Château d’Eau, Toulouse (Galerie 2), 1 Place Laganne,
Toulouse
Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...
, Jan 4–Mar 4
* 2011/12: ''Du jeu dans le je'', Hôtel Fontfreyde Centre photographique, 34 rue des Gras,
Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand (, , ; or simply ; ) is a city and Communes of France, commune of France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions of France, region, with a population of 147,284 (2020). Its metropolitan area () had 504,157 inhabitants at the 2018 ...
, Dec 15–Mar 3
* 2009: ''Sabotage de la Réalité'', Musée de la Fondation Amparo,
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
, Jun 12–Aug 31
* 2009: ''Regards et Dissimulations: Arcimboldo de Lucien Lorelle'', Muséo de Arte Moderna de São Paulo,
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
, Apr 23–Jun 28
* 2008: ''Lucien Lorelle, Peintre de Lumière'', Médiathèque Jacques Baumel, Sep 2–Oct 4
* 2007/8: ''Paris en couleurs, des frères Lumières à Martin Parr de 1907 à nos jours'', Hôtel de Ville de Paris, salle Saint Jean, Dec 4–Mar 31
* 2008: ''Rétrospective Lucien Lorelle'', l’Espace Trois Petits Poings: 50 B&W photographs 1920–1960, drawings, books and other documents, sale of limited edition photographs, in partnership with Central Color, Paris, to Mar 8
* 2006/7: ''La photographie publicitaire en France'', Musée de la Publicité, 107 rue de Rivoli, Paris, Nov 8–Mar 25
* 2006/7: ''Photographes Humanistes'', BnF, Oct 31–Jan 27
* 2006: ''Lucien Lorelle : Photographe'', Rueil-Malmaison, Sep 9
* 2006: ''Rencontres d’Arles 2006'', Jul 4–Sep 17
* 1998: ''10th Rencontres Photographiques du Pays Voironnais'', Villa des Arts, 169 rue de Charnècle, Voreppe, May 25–Jun 14
* 1998: ''Lucien Lorelle'', Central Color, 10 rue Pergolèse, Paris, Jun 24–Sep 15
* 1996: ''Lucien Lorelle'', Galerie du Château d’Eau, Château Laganne, 1 Place Charles Laganne, Toulouse, Jan 17–Feb 11
* 1992: ''Lucien Lorelle''. Galerie Bouqueret + Lebon, Paris
[Lorelle, L., Bouqueret, C., & Galerie Bouqueret + Lebon. (1992). Lucien Lorelle. Paris: Galerie Bouqueret + Lebon.]
* 1990/1 ''Photographies : De la réclame à la publicité'', Galerie du Forum - Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, Oct 31–Jan 6
* 1988: ''Une exposition de photographies françaises à New York en 1948'', Galerie du Forum, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, Sep 21–Nov 21
* 1982/3: ''Paris 1950 photographié par le Groupe des XV'', Bibliothèque historique de la ville de Paris, 22, rue Malher, Paris, Nov 5–Jan 29
* 1979:'' Lucien Lorelle'', Musée Français de la Photographie, 78 rue de Paris, Bièvres, Feb 15–Apr 10
* 1962: ''Photographies publicitaires et d’illustrations pour des oeuvres littéraires'', Galerie de la Société Française de Photographie, 9 rue Montalembert, Paris, Dec 4–31
Bibliography
* Gautrand, Jean-Claude, 'Lucien Lorelle, le charme de l'avant-garde'. In : ''Réponses Photo'', n° 42, May 2012, pp. 82–89.
* Masclet, Daniel, 'Lucien Lorelle, photographe'. In : ''Photo-Ciné-Revue'', April 1968, pp. 192–193.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lorelle, Lucien
1894 births
1968 deaths
French photographers
French portrait photographers