Modern Masters: Through the Lens

Alon Zakaim Fine Art is proud to present Modern Masters: Through the Lens - an exhibition of iconic portraiture from inside the studios of the 20th century painters and sculptors who informed, inspired, and constructed the visual world we live in today.

Displayed in two parts over both floors of the gallery, the exhibition spans the 20th century in its entirety, and pays homage to the vast network of painters, sculptors and creators who, through the nascent art of photography, were becoming connected in ways which had before seemed impossible.

From a photogravure of the renowned sculptor Auguste Rodin taken by Edward Steichen in 1907, through Willy Rizzo's dramatic capture of Salvador Dalí in 1950, to the crisp, modern portraiture seen in Philippe Bonan's striking image of Louise Bourgeois from 1995, part 1 of the exhibition takes us on a succinct photographic history of a century characterised by artistic innovation and progression. Through the photographs, we are invited into the lives of both the artists and the photographers; into André Villers' portraits of Picasso - the artist who gave him his first Rolleiflex camera; into Denise Colomb's portraits of a generation of world renowned artists, all of which she donated to the French state; and into Robert Doisneau's enigmatic and dynamic portraits of Georges Braque and Fernand Léger, informed by his years as a photographer for the French Resistance.

Part 2 of the exhibition, displayed in the downstairs gallery, sheds even more light on the turbulent 100 years of art that was the 20th century; André Villers' large and striking portrait of Fernand Léger in 1954 illustrates the beginning of the journey from cubism to pop, and Denise Bellon's almost voyeuristic image of André Breton and Roberto Matta gives an intriguing insight into the workings of a new, more connected and collaborative generation of artists. Accompanying this shift into late modernity are a dynamic double-exposure of Marcel Duchamp by Victor Obsatz - one which, though accidental, was felt by Duchamp to be an accurate reflection of his practice - and a tranquil yet poignant image of Op Artist Victor Vasarely in his studio in Arcueil.

Throughout the exhibition we are given insight into the practices of these extraordinary artists, as well as a sense for the importance of photography - a truly remarkable medium whose proliferation both fuelled and inspired the artists that it documented.

A selling exhibition of iconic photography by Alon Zakaim Fine Art until 31 July 2020.

The gallery is now open again to the public. Hand sanitiser is available at the entrance and gloves and masks upon request.