Lucien Hervé
Encyclopedia
Lucien Hervé (August 7, 1910 – June 26, 2007) was a Jewish Hungarian-French photographer
well known for his black-and-white photos of architecture
, especially that of Le Corbusier
, with whom he had a nearly 20-year collaboration.
in Hungary
on August 7, 1910. After beginning studies in Hungary, he emigrated to Paris
in 1929, joining many Hungarian artists and writers there, such as the painter Lajos Tihanyi, writer György Bölöni, and the photographer later known as Brassai
. In 1938 Elkán became a naturalized French citizen.
During World War II
Elkán was captured by the German
s (at the Battle of Dunkirk
) but escaped. As did many other Jewish French and Hungarians, he became a member of the French Resistance
, under the nom de guerre Lucien Hervé, which he kept thereafter. The FTP-MOI
was formed primarily from foreigners in the Paris area, many of whom were Jews from Hungary and other eastern European nations, who were in France for artistic reasons and to escape persecution in the east.
in Hungary
on August 7, 1910. After beginning studies in Hungary, he emigrated to Paris
in 1929, joining many Hungarian artists and writers there, such as the painter Lajos Tihanyi, writer György Bölöni, and the photographer later known as Brassai
. In 1938 Elkán became a naturalized French citizen.
During World War II
Elkán was captured by the German
s (at the Battle of Dunkirk
) but escaped. As did many other Jewish French and Hungarians, he became a member of the French Resistance
, under the nom de guerre Lucien Hervé, which he kept thereafter. The FTP-MOI
was formed primarily from foreigners in the Paris area, many of whom were Jews from Hungary and other eastern European nations, who were in France for artistic reasons and to escape persecution in the east.
Le Corbusier
, from 1949 to the architect's death in 1965. His black-and-white photos of Le Corbusier's buildings—with their strong lights, shadows, and monumental sense of space—are perhaps the most well known images of the architect's work. He also worked with the architects Alvar Aalto
, Marcel Breuer
, Kenzo Tange
, Richard Neutra
, Oscar Niemeyer
, Jean Prouvé
, Bernard Zerfuss, and others.
Lucien Hervé explored photographic abstraction
and collage
.
Since the late 1980s, Hervé's work has enjoyed a renewed popularity. In 2000, he showed color works of his apartment
at the gallery of the fashion designer Agnès b. Not long before Herve's death, the Getty Museum in California
bought nearly 2000 of his slides.
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
well known for his black-and-white photos of architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, especially that of Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier , was a Swiss-born French architect, designer, urbanist, writer and painter, famous for being one of the pioneers of what now is called modern architecture. He was born in Switzerland and became a French citizen in 1930...
, with whom he had a nearly 20-year collaboration.
Early life and career
Lászlo Elkán was born into a Jewish Hungarian family in the city of HódmezővásárhelyHódmezovásárhely
Hódmezővásárhely , Romanian: Ioneşti) is a city in south-east Hungary, on the Great Hungarian Plain, at the meeting point of the Békés-Csanádi Ridge and the clay grassland surrounding the river Tisza...
in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
on August 7, 1910. After beginning studies in Hungary, he emigrated to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1929, joining many Hungarian artists and writers there, such as the painter Lajos Tihanyi, writer György Bölöni, and the photographer later known as Brassai
Brassaï
Brassaï was a Hungarian photographer, sculptor, and filmmaker who rose to international fame in France in the 20th century. He was one of the numerous Hungarian artists who flourished in Paris beginning between the World Wars...
. In 1938 Elkán became a naturalized French citizen.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Elkán was captured by the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
s (at the Battle of Dunkirk
Battle of Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was a battle in the Second World War between the Allies and Germany. A part of the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and allied forces in Europe from 26 May–4 June 1940.After the Phoney War, the Battle of...
) but escaped. As did many other Jewish French and Hungarians, he became a member of the French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
, under the nom de guerre Lucien Hervé, which he kept thereafter. The FTP-MOI
FTP-MOI
The Francs-tireurs et partisans – main-d'œuvre immigrée were a sub-group of the Francs-tireurs et partisans organization, a component of the French Resistance. A wing composed mostly of foreigners, the MOI maintained an armed force to oppose the German occupation of France during World War II...
was formed primarily from foreigners in the Paris area, many of whom were Jews from Hungary and other eastern European nations, who were in France for artistic reasons and to escape persecution in the east.
Early life and career
Lászlo Elkán was born into a Jewish Hungarian family in the city of HódmezővásárhelyHódmezovásárhely
Hódmezővásárhely , Romanian: Ioneşti) is a city in south-east Hungary, on the Great Hungarian Plain, at the meeting point of the Békés-Csanádi Ridge and the clay grassland surrounding the river Tisza...
in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
on August 7, 1910. After beginning studies in Hungary, he emigrated to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1929, joining many Hungarian artists and writers there, such as the painter Lajos Tihanyi, writer György Bölöni, and the photographer later known as Brassai
Brassaï
Brassaï was a Hungarian photographer, sculptor, and filmmaker who rose to international fame in France in the 20th century. He was one of the numerous Hungarian artists who flourished in Paris beginning between the World Wars...
. In 1938 Elkán became a naturalized French citizen.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Elkán was captured by the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
s (at the Battle of Dunkirk
Battle of Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was a battle in the Second World War between the Allies and Germany. A part of the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and allied forces in Europe from 26 May–4 June 1940.After the Phoney War, the Battle of...
) but escaped. As did many other Jewish French and Hungarians, he became a member of the French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
, under the nom de guerre Lucien Hervé, which he kept thereafter. The FTP-MOI
FTP-MOI
The Francs-tireurs et partisans – main-d'œuvre immigrée were a sub-group of the Francs-tireurs et partisans organization, a component of the French Resistance. A wing composed mostly of foreigners, the MOI maintained an armed force to oppose the German occupation of France during World War II...
was formed primarily from foreigners in the Paris area, many of whom were Jews from Hungary and other eastern European nations, who were in France for artistic reasons and to escape persecution in the east.
Career
In the postwar years, Hervé became most well known as a photographer for his artistic collaboration with the architectArchitect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier , was a Swiss-born French architect, designer, urbanist, writer and painter, famous for being one of the pioneers of what now is called modern architecture. He was born in Switzerland and became a French citizen in 1930...
, from 1949 to the architect's death in 1965. His black-and-white photos of Le Corbusier's buildings—with their strong lights, shadows, and monumental sense of space—are perhaps the most well known images of the architect's work. He also worked with the architects Alvar Aalto
Alvar Aalto
Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto was a Finnish architect and designer. His work includes architecture, furniture, textiles and glassware...
, Marcel Breuer
Marcel Breuer
Marcel Lajos Breuer , was a Hungarian-born modernist, architect and furniture designer of Jewish descent. One of the masters of Modernism, Breuer displayed interest in modular construction and simple forms.- Life and work :Known to his friends and associates as Lajkó, Breuer studied and taught at...
, Kenzo Tange
Kenzo Tange
was a Japanese architect, and winner of the 1987 Pritzker Prize for architecture. He was one of the most significant architects of the 20th century, combining traditional Japanese styles with modernism, and designed major buildings on five continents. Tange was also an influential protagonist of...
, Richard Neutra
Richard Neutra
Richard Joseph Neutra is considered one of modernism's most important architects.- Biography :Neutra was born in Leopoldstadt, the 2nd district of Vienna, Austria Hungary, on April 8, 1892. He was born into both-Jewish wealthy family...
, Oscar Niemeyer
Oscar Niemeyer
Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho is a Brazilian architect specializing in international modern architecture...
, Jean Prouvé
Jean Prouvé
-Images:**- External links :***...
, Bernard Zerfuss, and others.
Lucien Hervé explored photographic abstraction
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
and collage
Collage
A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
.
Since the late 1980s, Hervé's work has enjoyed a renewed popularity. In 2000, he showed color works of his apartment
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
at the gallery of the fashion designer Agnès b. Not long before Herve's death, the Getty Museum in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
bought nearly 2000 of his slides.
External links
- Lucien Hervé - Official site
- Lucien Hervé and Le Corbusier - New book on Lucien Hervé and Le Corbusier