A comprehensive exhibition featuring the intimate portrait photography of Denise Colomb opens at Le Val Fleury from October 10 to December 14, 2025. The exhibition showcases the French photographer's remarkable ability to capture rare moments of intimacy through family scenes, faces of strangers encountered during travels, and immortalized artists.
Despite her iconic photographs of artists becoming widely recognized—such as her famous portrait of Nicolas de Staël in a black shirt—Denise Colomb's name remains relatively unknown to the general public today. However, Colomb stands as one of the greatest portraitists of the 20th century. Her artist portraits are continuously used in exhibitions worldwide due to their exceptional truth and sincerity, which have become emblematic of the subjects' work.
The work of this French photographer, who lived from 1902 to 2004, extends far beyond her renowned artist portraits. Her photography was built through encounters both distant and close, telling stories of connections that were sometimes fleeting or lasting, but always marked by respect and tenderness. Her approach to intimacy was never intrusive, reflecting her deep fascination with meeting others, which makes her work so compelling.
Colomb's photography reflects a sensitive perspective directed toward both her loved ones and strangers encountered during her travels. Her work emanates a generosity that aligns with her 1991 donation of her entire body of work to the French state. This gesture demonstrated her commitment to preserving and sharing her artistic legacy with the public.
The current exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to discover or rediscover Colomb's art while highlighting valuable collaborative efforts. The exhibition was conceived with support from the Médiathèque du patrimoine et de la photographie, which holds the collection, as well as the artist's family, who retain moral rights to her work. Particularly involved are her son Olivier Cahen, a long-time resident of Gif-sur-Yvette, and her grandson Antoine Cahen, who serves as General Delegate of the Denise Colomb Committee that brings together the artist's rightful heirs.
The exhibition runs until December 14, 2025, at Le Val Fleury, located at Allée du Val Fleury in Gif-sur-Yvette, Essonne. For more information, visitors can contact the venue at 01 70 56 52 60 or visit culturel@mairie-gif.fr and www.ville-gif.fr.
