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Magician of Light
Magician of Light
April 13, 2026
Herbert List, Plaster Casts of Classical Sculptures in the Ruins of the Munich Academy of Arts, winter 1945/46
© Herbert List, Courtesy of Johanna Breede
Few twentieth-century photographers engaged with the interplay of light and the human body as masterfully as Herbert List (1903–1975). His work is rooted in the art of harnessing light: living bodies are transformed into perfect sculptures – while classical statues are seemingly brought to life. It is no surprise he has been described as a “magician of light”.
The central creative element of photography is inherent in its very name, which literally translates as “writing with light”. In List’s work, however, light becomes more than a technical tool – it becomes his artistic signature. Soft contrasts, rich greys and subtle tonal gradations – achieved through long exposure times in the darkroom – define his visual language. Marble loses its incandedence and is infused with life; bare skin is rendered in luminous tones – culminating in an almost palpable warmth. Even body studies captured in the cold of winter appear “warm to the touch” – as though the viewer could feel the radiance of the light.
The exhibition offers a new opportunity to discover Herbert List’s work, and experience his masterful light orchestrations in all their poetic power.
Katrin UllmannThe central creative element of photography is inherent in its very name, which literally translates as “writing with light”. In List’s work, however, light becomes more than a technical tool – it becomes his artistic signature. Soft contrasts, rich greys and subtle tonal gradations – achieved through long exposure times in the darkroom – define his visual language. Marble loses its incandedence and is infused with life; bare skin is rendered in luminous tones – culminating in an almost palpable warmth. Even body studies captured in the cold of winter appear “warm to the touch” – as though the viewer could feel the radiance of the light.
The exhibition offers a new opportunity to discover Herbert List’s work, and experience his masterful light orchestrations in all their poetic power.
LFI 3.2014+-
Leica Classics: Magic Moments. Herbert List went to professional photography quite late in life. Influenced by the New Objectivity of the twenties, he tried to keep a distance from his subjects. More
Herbert List, Plaster Casts of Classical Sculptures in the Ruins of the Munich Academy of Arts, winter 1945/46
© Herbert List, Courtesy of Johanna Breede
Herbert List, Theseus and Minotauros in the Tuileries Gardens, Paris 1936
© Herbert List, Courtesy of Johanna Breede
Herbert List, Wrestling Boys in the Baltic Sea, Germany 1933
© Herbert List, Courtesy of Johanna Breede