Jacques Henri Lartigue
1894–1986 · France
The diary of a life in pictures.
The story
Lartigue began photographing his privileged family surroundings, sports, cars and leisure activities in childhood. He also painted and kept a diary, in a practice that accompanied his life. International recognition of his photographs came late, notably after a MoMA exhibition in 1963. His albums are more than a store of happy moments: their assembly, annotations and revisions construct the visual narrative of a life.
Understanding the work
Look at the movement, then the album that contains it. The surprising framing of an instant and the retrospective selection of memories produce two distinct levels of personal photographic narrative.
Key works and series
Photographic albums; sports and cars; portraits of Renée Perle.
Sources & further exploration
Works in collections.
10 recordsPhotographs to explore on museum and library websites, with titles, dates and processes. Each link opens the collection record and its image where one is available.
- MoMA · 1912
Grand Prix of the Automobile Club of France, Course at Dieppe
Gelatin silver print, printed 1962
