Between family scenes, the faces of strangers encountered while traveling, and immortalized artists, Denise Colomb‘s photographs reveal moments of rare intimacy. An exhibition to be discovered at the Val Fleury, from October 10 to December 14, 2025.
Who knows Denise Colomb today? While her photographs of artists have become iconic, such as that of Nicolas de Staël in the black shirt, her name remains discreet, even confidential.
Denise Colomb is nevertheless one of the greatest portrait photographer of the 20th century.
Her portraits of artists are constantly used in exhibitions, as their truth and sincerity are so emblematic and embody the work.
But the work of this French photographer (1902-2004) is much broader. It was built through encounters, both distant and close, which tell of a bond formed, fleeting or lasting, but always imbued with respect and tenderness, where intimacy is never intrusive.
It is the encounter with others that fascinates her and makes her work so captivating. It reflects a sensitive gaze both on those close to her and on the strangers she encounters during her travels. It exudes a generosity that is reflected in the donation of her entire work to the French State in 1991.
This exhibition is an opportunity to discover or rediscover her art, but also an opportunity for valuable collaborations. It was conceived with the support of the Médiathèque du patrimoine et de la photographie, which holds the collection, as well as the artist’s family, which holds the moral rights, and in particular her son Olivier Cahen, a longtime resident of Gif-sur-Yvette, and her grandson Antoine Cahen, General Delegate of the Denise Colomb Committee, which brings together the artist’s beneficiaries.
Denise Colomb
Until December 14, 2025
Le Val Fleury
Allée du Val Fleury – Gif-sur-Yvette (Essonne)
01 70 56 52 60
[email protected]
