It is in the heart of Montparnasse that Emile Savitry began his career as a painter, developed that of photographer, frequented his friends sculptors, painters, poets, musicians, it is there that this talented jack-of-all trades who “had more than a string to his bow “lived all his life.
Posing session in the sculpture workshop of the School of Fine Arts. At the Grande Chaumière painting academy he photographed his “Nude on the stairs”, a theme dear to the painter he was and will remain. He became attached to the artists of his neighborhood, Anton Prinner, Victor Brauner whom he brought together in a reportage called Déracinés, enracinés, published in Vogue magazine in 1946 and for which he wrote the text. Both came from Eastern Europe to practice their art. Savitry met them in their atelier in the Pernety district.
Like Alberto Giacometti who sought all his life to represent the true face of man, what hides behind a look or an expression, in an unfulfilled quest for the nature of the soul, Savitry in his own way pursued this same research, discovered what is hidden behind appearances. Giacometti observing out of the corner of his eye his fragile sculpture perched on a base give a suggestion of the questions which assail him. He gave Savitry one of his most accurate portraits. He is also interested in Pierre Loeb, a great gallery owner of modern art who posed here on the first floor of his gallery rue de Beaux-arts.
Later it will be Oscar Dominguez, a surrealist artist born in the Fortunate Islands (The Canaries), always ready for antics that the photographer catches with his art work the “Challenge” and per game represents himself in his company.
Finally Colette, the great lady of literature, seized in the heart of her Parisian apartment in the Palais Royal.
Sophie Malexis
Exhibition curator
Exhibition “Emile Savitry, a photographer from Montparnasse (1903-1967)
produced under the direction of Brigitte Richart, curator of the Granville museums
Richard-Anacréon Museum of Modern Art
Place de l’isthme- 50400 -Granville. Phone 02.33.51.02.94.
Open Friday, Saturday, Sunday until the end of June from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and from July 1 to September 30 from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
