Obituary: F.C. Gundlach

July 26, 2021

Photographer and collector F.C. Gundlach has passed away in Hamburg shortly after his 95th birthday.
Just ten days ago, he opened his showcase ‘F.C. Gundlach at Work’ at the Elbschloss Residenz in Hamburg. One last time, he was the centre of attention, surrounded by long-time companions and friends. The exhibition not only revisited the artist’s most famous fashion images, but also showed the man behind the camera – tracing his evolution from a lanky young novice to a professional creator of hugely influential images.

Distinguished by a classic, pared down style, the photographer’s approach was remarkably cosmopolitan. Gundlach was among the first to introduce the exotic flair of far-flung places into Germany’s fashion magazines. His decision to shoot with 35mm film and adopt a more reportage-oriented style, further contributed to his success. Though never controversial, his work was always innovative, recognisable, and exceedingly elegant.

The renowned collector and curator, who was also the founding director of Haus der Photographie in Hamburg’s Deichtorhallen, passed away unexpectedly one week after his 95th birthday. A number of years ago, Gundlach had a mausoleum built on the city’s Ohlsdorf Cemetery, which adheres to a distinctive and fittingly clear-cut design. A relief on its side walls depicts one of the photographer’s most famous images: two models in bathing caps, pictured in front of the pyramids at Giza, Egypt.

To find out more about the artist’s life and work, visit his website.
 

Obituary: F.C. Gundlach