Lucien Hervé

Lucien Hervé (1910–2007) is the French resistance name of Hungarian-born photographer László Elkán. In 1949, he took 650 photographs of the construction of the Cité Radieuse in Marseille in one day. Le Corbusier wrote to him: "You have the soul of an architect, and you know how to see architecture." That day, Lucien Hervé became Le Corbusier's official photographer. Between Lucien Hervé and Le Corbusier, the aesthetic love at first sight, the respect and admiration can be summed up in one word: rigor. This is what Lucien Hervé's photographs show. Eloquent in their contrasts, sublime in their composition, essential in their conciseness. Even the photos of Thoronet Abbey seem to enter into symbiosis with those of Le Corbusier's works. Aware of the inexorable passage of time and the need to document the present, Le Corbusier asked Lucien Hervé to create a photographic memory of his buildings. This exhibition contributes to this and perpetuates the memory of this wonderful collaboration.

Lucien Hervé (1910–2007) was the name adopted by the Hungarian-born photographer László Elkán in the French Resistance. In 1949, he took 650 photographs of the Cité Radieuse under construction in Marseille in one day. Le Corbusier wrote to him: “You have the soul of an architect and you understand how architecture should be viewed.” On that day, Lucien Hervé became Le Corbusier’s official photographer. The aesthetic flare, respect and admiration between Lucien Hervé and Le Corbusier can be summed up in one word: rigor. Lucien Hervé’s photographs show this. They are eloquent in their contrasts, delicate in their composition, and to the point in their brevity. Even the photographs of Le Thoronet Abbey interact with those of Le Corbusier’s works. Le Corbusier, aware of the inexorability of the passage of time and the need to preserve the present, asked Lucien Hervé to create a visual memory of his buildings. This exhibition contributes to this and perpetuates the memory of this great collaboration.