Fred Boissonnas

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Self-portrait with the help of a mirror (1900)

Fred (Frédéric) Boissonnas (born June 18, 1858 in Geneva ; † October 17, 1946 ibid) was a Swiss photographer who became famous for his pictures from Greece .

Life

His father Henri Boissonnas was instrumental in making Geneva an early center of photography. While his younger brother Edmond-Victor (1862–1890) was primarily fascinated by the technical side of photography and caused a sensation with his records at the World Exhibition in Vienna in 1882, François-Frédéric (known as "Fred") enjoyed a more artistic focus oriented training. After several publications on Swiss topics, he won a gold medal at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900 and then became increasingly active internationally. From his first trip to Greece (together with Daniel Baud-Bovy ) he brought a few thousand pictures with him and in 1910 published the book La Grèce par monts et par vaux . Further trips took him to Greece in 1911, 1912 and 1913. His first ascent of Mount Olympus also took place in 1913 , which he undertook together with Baud-Bovy and the Greek Christos Kakkalos . Further trips took him to Egypt and Mount Athos.

The significance of Boissonnas' pictures lies on the one hand in their artistic rank, which manifests itself above all in the sovereign handling of light and shadow. Added to this is their immense documentary value: Boissonnas was not only interested in antiquities and untouched landscapes, but also in the country's inhabitants, whom he recorded at work or as groups in posing. They are invaluable documents for the history of Greece in the early 20th century.

literature

  • Fred Boissonnas ΕΙΚΟΝΕΣ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ / IMAGES OF GREECE . Rizarios Foundation, Athens 2001, ISBN 960-85302-6-1 . (Texts in Greek and German)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Boissonnas, Fred
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Boissonnas, Frédéric
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss photographer
DATE OF BIRTH June 18, 1858
PLACE OF BIRTH Geneva
DATE OF DEATH October 17, 1946
Place of death Geneva