Lucien Hervé

Lucien Hervé, self-portrait from 1938

Lucien Hervé (born August 7, 1910 in Hódmezővásárhely , Hungary , † June 26, 2007 in Paris , France ), born László Elkán , was a French photographer of Hungarian origin.

Live and act

Origin and education

Lucien Hervé was born the son of Lajos Elkán, a leather wholesaler and member of the city council, and Nelly Ritscher. In 1918 the family moved to Budapest . His father died on March 3, 1920. This year Hervé received his first piano lessons. In 1928 he graduated from high school and moved to Vienna , where he enrolled at the university as a student of economics. He also attended drawing courses at the art college. In the summer of 1929 he went to his brother in Paris, where he visited the museums intensively. Towards the end of 1929 he returned to Budapest, but already moved to Paris in February 1930, where he lived with Lucienne Savin and was employed by a bank. After he was blacklisted, he couldn't find work. He worked in the Franco-Hungarian trade union, studied economics and attended the university for workers.

activities

In 1932 Hervé initially worked as a representative for fashion design, later he himself worked as a fashion designer for fashion houses such as Patou, Rochas , Lelong, Paquin, Worth, Schiaparelli, Molineux, Lanvin and Chanel . In 1934 he became a member of the French national volleyball team. He became a member of the French Communist Party (PCF) and lived with Fernande Lacroix, a saleswoman at Patou. In 1935, Hervé took an active part in the strikes in the fashion industry. He was appointed permanent union representative of the CGT and later appointed general secretary of the Confederation of Trade Unions in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. Now he lived with Mado Ferrand, a foreman in a fashion studio. At this time he also took on illegal work under the name Elec. In 1937 he received French citizenship through the mediation of the socialist naval minister Blanchot . In March 1938 he was expelled from the Communist Party. In July 1938, the collaboration with the Hungarian photographer Nicolas Müller began as text editor for his photo reports on behalf of Marianne Magazine. In September 1938 Müller had to leave France as a result of the Munich Agreement . After Müller's departure in 1939 he became a photo reporter for Marianne Magazine himself and, for reasons of propriety, traded under the name Müller.

Second World War

In 1939 Hervé was drafted and assigned to the 5th Infantry Regiment, where he worked as an army photographer and was under the command of Colonel de Lattre de Tassigny . In the same year he married Mado Ferrand. On June 4, 1940, he was captured by the Germans on the beach in Dunkirk and interned as a prisoner of war in Hohenstein (East Prussia). During his imprisonment he made his first attempts at painting. He became the spokesman for the resistance group in the prison camp. On February 2, 1941, he was arrested by the Gestapo for his active participation in the resistance within the camp . In September he managed to escape and joined the underground army in Grenoble . There he was responsible for replenishing the camps in the higher mountain regions. From the end of 1941 he belonged to the Maquis , the resistance fighters of Vercors . As a member of the Resistance , he took the name Lucien Hervé. He painted and took part in the exhibitions of the Paris Salon d'Automne . In 1943 he was re-enlisted in the Communist Party, which operated underground. In December 1943 he was ordered to Paris to direct the underground activities of the Mouvement national des prisonniers de guerre et déportés (MNPGD; National Movement of Prisoners of War and Deportees). In 1945 he worked on the management staff of the MNPGD, as did the later President François Mitterrand . He met Deng Xiaoping during the founding congress of the World Trade Union Confederation, of which he drew a portrait. He was appointed Deputy President of the French Red Cross and General Secretary of the Union of Soviet Prisoners of War and Deportees in France. After only six years of marriage, he separated from his wife Mado Ferrand.

Success as a photographer

In February 1946, Georges Bidault sent him on a consular mission to Budapest, where he stayed for three months. In January 1947 he was again expelled from the Communist Party. He met Judith Molnar. At that time he occasionally designed movie posters. He started taking photos again, was hired by France Illustration as a picture editor and was responsible for the illustrations for the "Arts" section. Parallel to photography, he wrote articles on the subject of art. He worked for Point de vue , Regards and Lilliput . In 1949 he met Father Marie-Alain Couturier , the editor-in-chief of the church art magazine L'Art Sacré , who introduced him to Henri Matisse . On Father Couturier's advice, he went down in December after Marseille and photographed the Unité d'Habitation of Le Corbusier . He sent the architect the 650 pictures he had taken in a single day, whereupon the architect asked him to become his in-house photographer. In 1950 he began taking photos intensively for Le Corbusier. On November 3, 1950, he married his second wife, Judith Molnar. Until 1955 he took photos regularly for Le Corbusier, as well as for numerous internationally renowned architects such as Alvar Aalto , Marcel Breuer , Kenzō Tange , Richard Neutra , Oscar Niemeyer , Aulis Blomstedt and for French architects such as Bernard Zehrfuss , Jean Balladur , Georges Candilis , Georges- Henri Pingusson , Michel Ecochard, Jean Prouvé and many others. In 1955 he accompanied Le Corbusier to Chandigarh and also photographed Ahmedabad . He was commissioned to photograph the Paris UNESCO building designed by Marcel Breuer, Pier Luigi Nervi and Bernard Zehrfuss . He documented the construction work for three years until the building complex was completed. His son Daniel Rodolf Hervé was born on May 2, 1957. In 1959 he photographed the Escorial complex and Mediterranean folk architecture in Spain for two works that were never realized. Thanks to various employment contracts with the French Electricity Association, the Federation of the Iron and Steel Industry, the Architecture d'aujourd'hui magazine and the Gallimard publishing house , he was able to extend his return trip to a world tour in 1961 and countries such as Japan , Cambodia , Sri Lanka , Turkey and Greece , USA (California), Mexico , Peru and Brazil visit. In 1962 he photographed excavation sites in Syria, Lebanon and Iran on behalf of the letter from the French Institute for Archeology in the Middle East.

In 1965 he showed the first signs of multiple sclerosis . Between 1966 and 1970, Hervé was handicapped by advanced multiple sclerosis. He focused on organizing exhibitions and publishing his books. He created numerous collages in which he mostly processed photographs. He started taking photos again and continued his research on abstraction that he had begun in the late 1940s. In 1970 he traveled to Belgium , where he and Pierre Puttemans took photographs for a book on modern architecture in Belgium. He was often accompanied on trips by his son, who stood by his side. Since 1970 he has been a member of numerous juries responsible for awarding diplomas to architecture students ( École Nationale des Beaux-Arts , École Camondo, Paris). 1974 to 1984 Hervé suffered another episode of his illness. Thanks to his traveling exhibitions, he kept a presence in the art scene.

Last years

In 1985 Hervé received the Medal of the City of Arles for being one of the first to donate his photos to the Musée Réattu . In 1988 he received a special award from the Jury des Mois de la Photo in Paris. In 1990 he was made a Knight of the Legion of Honor for his activity in the French resistance, and in 1991 he was also made an honorary member of the Association of Hungarian Photographers. In 1993 he received the Médaille des Arts Plastiques from the Paris Architecture Academy . In 1994 he was appointed Knight des Arts et des Lettres . From 1997 to 1998 Hervé traveled to Austria several times to work with the Hungarian architect Attila Batár on photos of the urban planning of the Mölkersteig district in Vienna. In 2000 he was honored with the Grand Prix de Photographie de la Ville de Paris . On October 13, 2000 he lost his son Daniel Rodolf Hervé, a photographer and video artist.

In 2001 he was elected a member of the Széchenyi Academy of Fine Arts in Hungary . The Association of Hungarian Photographers awarded him a prize for his life's work. He was also awarded the officer degree of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres . The book Lucien Hervé. L'homme construit. by Lucien Hervé and Olivier Beer 2003 was awarded the special prize of the Frankfurt Book Fair . In 2004 he donated a photography prize ( Prix ​​Lucien Hervé et Rodolf Hervé ) for young photographers.

On June 26, 2007, Hervé died in Paris at the age of 97. He rests there in the Montparnasse cemetery .

Awards and honors

• 1985 Awarded the Medal of the City of Arles
• 1990 Knight of the Legion of Honor for his activity in the French resistance
• 1991 honorary member of the Association of Hungarian Photographers
• 1994 Knight des Arts et des Lettres
• 2001 member of the Széchenyi Academy for Fine Arts
• 2001 Award of the Association of Hungarian Photographers with a prize for his life's work
• 2001 officer degree of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
• 2003 Special prize from the Frankfurt Book Fair for his book Lucien Hervé. L'homme construit

Selected exhibitions

Solo exhibitions

• 2004 Photography di architettura - Le Corbusier , Biennale Internazionale di Fotografia di Brescia, Italy
• 2005 Lucien Hervé, L'œil de l'architecte , CIVA, Brussels
• 2007 Construction - Composition / Le Corbusier - Lucien Hervé Fondation Le Corbusier, Paris
• 2007 Le Corbusier - Lucien Hervé , Galerie Taisei, Tokyo
• 2007 Rétrospective Lucien Hervé , Galerie Caméra Obscura, Paris
• 2007 In memoriam Lucien Hervé , Galerie du Jour agnès b. , Paris
• 2008 Lucien Hervé, Photographies , Chapelle Bacchus, Besançon
• 2008 Le Corbusier e Lucien Hervé Construção / Composição , Museu Colecção Berardo Arte Moderna e Contemporãnea, Lisbon
• 2008 Párizsi fotográfiák és művészportrék , Magyar Fotográfusok Háza - Mai Manó Ház, Budapest
• 2008 Lucien Hervé - The Soul of an Architect , Michael Hoppen Photography, London
• 2009 Architettura in immagini. Lucien Hervé fotografa Le Corbusier , Palazzo Te, Mantua
• 2010 Lucien Hervé , Galerie du Jour agnès b., Paris
• 2010 Lucien Hervé, sculpteur d'images , Keitelman Gallery, Brussels
• 2010 Lucien Hervé 100 , Szépművészeti Múzeum (Museum of Fine Arts), Budapest
• 2010 Elkán László hazatér. Lucien Hervé 100 , Emlékpont Múzeum, Hódmezővásárhely (Hungary)
• 2011 Vivants , Maison de la Photographie Robert Doisneau, Gentilly
• 2012 “  Contacts” - Lucien Hervé , Camera Obscura Gallery, Paris

Collective exhibitions

• 2006 Isabelle Huppert. La femme aux portraits , Couvent des Cordeliers, Paris
• 2006 L'Inde dans tous les sens , Espace Louis Vuitton, Paris
• 2007 White & Black , Vasarely Múzeum, Budapest
• 2008 Paris Photo , Carrousel du Louvre , Galerie du Jour agnès b. és Galerie Caméra Obscura, Paris
• 2009 Retratos de Cidades: Le Havre - Brasília - Niterói , Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Niterói
• 2010 Architecture and Photography , ArteF Fine Art Photography Gallery, Zurich
• 2010 Le Havre. Images sur commandes , Musée Malraux, Le Havre
• 2011 Made in Hungary , Michael Hoppen Gallery, London
• 2011 Eyes on Paris , Deichtorhallen, Hamburg

Bibliography (selection)

Books and albums

• La Plus Grande Aventure du monde. L'architecture mystique de Cîteaux , with Francois Cali, Arthaud, Paris 1956
• Architecture of Truth , Thames & Hudson, London, 1956; George Braziller, New York, 1956. New edition: Architecture de Vérité / Architecture of Truth , Païdon, Paris-London, 2000
• Le Siège de l'Unesco à Paris , Freal & Cie, Paris, 1958; 2nd edition, Gerd Hatje, Stuttgart, 1958
• Építészet és Fénykép (architecture and photography) Akadémia Kiadó, Budapest, 1968
• Le Beau court la rue , Gérim, Paris, 1970
• Le Corbusier, l'artiste et l'écrivain , Griffon, “Arts plastiques du XXème siècle” Neuchâtel, Suisse, 1970
• Az Építészet nyelve (Language of Architecture), Corvina, Budapest, 1983
• Lucien Hervé , text and interviews by Attila Batár, Hét Torony Kiadó, Budapest, 1992
• Intimité et Immensité , together with Bernard Noël, Téménos, Paris, 1994
• The story as an architect, The Mölker Steig , Text: Attila Batár, Mölker Verlag, Vienna, Budapest, 1995
• Lucien Hervé: L'homme construit , text: Olivier Beer, Seuil, Paris, 2001
• Amis inconnus , text: Noel Bourcier and Pierre Borhan, Filigranes Éditions, 2002
• The Eiffel Tower , Introduction by Barry Bergdoll, Princeton Architectural Press, New York, 2003
• Le Corbusier / Lucien Hervé. Contacts , texts by Béatrice Andrieux, Quentin Bajac, Michel Richard, Jacques Sbriglio, Éd Seuil, Paris, 2011 ( Le Corbusier & Lucien Hervé. The Architect and the photographer. A dialogue. Thames & Hudson, London, 2011; Le Corbusier & Lucien Herve: A Dialogue Between Architect and Photographer , The Getty Institute, Los Angeles, 2011; Le Corbusier / Lucien Hervé: Contacts , Schirmer / Mosel Verlag, 2011)
• Lucien Hervé , interviews by Hans Ulrich Olbrist, Manuella Editions, Paris, 2011

Portfolios

• Lucien Hervé , text: Michel Ragon , Éditions du Moniteur, Paris, 1998
• Le Corbusier (10 copies), Phot'œil, 1989
• Les Constructeurs (30 copies), Forum des Arts, 1999, with a poem by Olivier Beer
• Paris (30 copies), Forum des Arts, 1999, with a poem by Olivier Beer
• Enfance (30 copies), Forum des Arts, 1999, with a poem by Olivier Beer
• Le Corbusier (30 copies), Forum des Arts, 1999, introduction by Lucien Hervé, with a poem by Olivier Beer
• Jean Prouvé (30 copies), 1999, réalisé pour la Galerie 54, introduction by Lucien Hervé, with a poem by Olivier Beer

Exhibition catalogs

• 1966 Langage de l'architecture, "  Lucien Hervé par lui-même  ", musée de l'Art contemporain, Skopje
• 1985 Lucien Hervé, text: Jean Dieuzaide: "  Lucien Hervé: voir ce que nous ne voyons pas  ", galerie municipale du Château d'Eau, Toulouse
• 1988 Mois de la photo 1988, Paris Audiovisuel: «  Rétrospective Lucien Hervé. Architecture de l'image, image de l'architecture  ”, Gilles Neret, p. 174.
• 1988 Mint minder ember ... (Like all people) [Exhibition "Lucien Hervé, photographe"], text: Lucien Hervé, György Somlyó, Budapest
• 1991 FNAC et sa collection 1968 à 1991 , text: Jean Dieuzaide, galerie municipale du Château d'Eau, Toulouse
• 1992 De essentie van het fragment (The essence of the fragment), text: Tjeerd Bousma, Margit Tamás, Institute for Architecture, Rotterdam
• 1992 Tirages de l'époque: 1938-1962 , Taisei gallery, Tokyo (collective)
• 1992 Première Photo , éditions de la galerie du Jour Agnès b., Paris (collective)
• 1994 La Jeune Fille dans la ville. La Ville et la Modernité , éditions de la galerie du Jour Agnès b., Paris (collective)
• 1994 Mois de la photo 1994, Paris Audiovisuel: Lucien Hervé. Capitales d'empire, Persépolis, Fatehpur Sikri , p. 110-113.
• 1996 Photos leurres , éditions de la galerie du Jour Agnès b., Paris (collective)
• 1996 Mois de la photo 1996, Paris -Audiovisuel: Photo leurres , p. 180-181.
• 1996 L'arquitectura de Le Corbusier , Fondation Caixa Castello, Barcelona
• 1997 Architecture de Le Corbusier , text: Lucien Weygand, Jacques Sbriglio, Hôtel du département, Conseil général des Bouches-du-Rhône
• 1998 The Soul of an Architect , texte de Zaha Hadid, Michael Hoppen Photography, London (20 mars-2 may)
• 1999 Vive les modernités! , XXXe Rencontres internationales de la photography d'Arles, Actes Sud: «  Lucien Hervé. Architecture de l'ombre. Le beau court la rue  », Didier Brousse.
• 2002 Lucien Hervé , Szent István Király Múzeum, Székesfehérvár
• 2003 Lucien Hervé - Anna Mark , Hôtel des Arts, Conseil général du Var, Toulon
• 2005 Lucien Hervé, L'œil de l'architecte , textes de Barry Bergdoll, de Véronique Boone et de Pierre Puttemans, CIVA, Bruxelles
• 2007 Brasília Chandigarh | Le Havre - Portraits de villes , Somogy Editions d'Art - Musée Malraux, Le Havre
• 2007 Lucien Hervé , Erdész & Makláry Fine Arts, Budapest
• 2007 Lucien Hervé , text by Imola Gebauer, Erdész & Makláry Fine Arts, Budapest
• 2009 Architettura in immagini. Lucien Hervé photographer Le Corbusier. , Palazzo Te 1525, Skira
• 2010 Lucien Hervé 100 text: Imola Gebauer. Szépművészeti Múzeum, Budapest

items

• Histoire d'une robe ... et de 91 pairs de mains . In: Marianne Magazine , No. 12, June 1939, pages 42-46.
• Cité d'artistes . In: France Illustration , No. 213, November 1949.
• Paris vu des toits et des clochers . In: France Illustration , No. 324, December 1951.
• Le siège de l'Unesco à Paris . In: L'Architecture d'aujourd'hui , No. 58, January 1955, pages 26-31.
• L'unité d'habitation à Nantes-Rézé . In: L'Architecture d'aujourd'hui , No. 66, July 1956, pages 2-11.
• Le siège de l'Unesco à Paris . In: Aujourd'hui , No. 8, June 1956, pages 58-63.
• Speaking of the photographie d'architecture . In: Aujourd'hui , No. 9, July 1956, pages 28-31.
• Observatoire de Jaipur . In: Aujourd'hui , No. 9, July 1956, pages 34-37.
• La maison de Pierre Jeanneret in Chandigarh . In: Aujourd'hui , No. 9, July 1956, pages 62-67.
• Inde et Chandigarh . In: L'Architecture d'aujourd'hui , No. 67-68, August / September 1956, pages 172-197.
• Japon: parallèles et divergences . In: L'Architecture d'aujourd'hui , No. 98, October / November 1961, pages 6-20.
• Center culturel, Tokyo . In: L'Architecture d'aujourd'hui , No. 98, October / November 1961, pages 28-33.
• Chandigarh, capitale du Pakistan . In: L'Architecture d'aujourd'hui , No. 101, April / May 1962, pages 4-21.
• Visit to Brasilia . In: L'Architecture d'aujourd'hui , No. 101, April / May 1962, pages 22-37.
• Mon fantastique ... enfin défini . In: L'Architecture d'aujourd'hui , No. 102, June / July 1962, pages 106-111.
• Villes mortes de la Syrie du Nord . In: Jardin des arts , No. 107, October 1963, pages 32-43.
• Brigitte Ollier: Dernière épreuve . In Liberation , June 28, 2007.
• Claire Guillot: Lucien Hervé, photographe . In: Le Monde , July 10, 2007.

Documentaries

• Anne Ikhlef, Concerto en noir et blanc , 2007 (French)
• Gerrit Messiaen, Lucien Hervé (French)
• Illés Sarkantyu, Lucien Hervé , 2010 (French)

Web links

• Literature by and about Lucien Hervé in the catalog of the German National Library
• Works by and about Lucien Hervé  in the German Digital Library
• www.lucienherve.com (Official website for Lucien Hervé and Rodolf Hervé, French)

Individual evidence

1. ^ Judith Elkan and Olivier Beer (Lucien Hervé: L'homme construit); Imola Gebauer (Lucien Hervé 100)