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London, Paris
London, Paris
René Groebli
July 2, 2024
René Groebli – London, 1949
© Courtesy of Buchkunst Berlin
Silhouetted figures appearing through the fog; the contours of the newly expanded Battersea Power Station – a symbol of the British Empire’s industrial power – outlined against a soot-stained sky. The gloom of London is contrasted with the brightness of Paris – captured in less subjective, keenly observed street photographs.
In this canon of images, created in 1948/1949, René Groebli developed an independent narrative style for each of the two cities: oscillating between formal modernism and visual poetry, he captured the atmosphere of the post-war era, while also adding his own, entirely unique vision. His images take the viewer on a journey back in time, when cities like London and Paris were emerging from the horrors of war and reclaiming their places as vibrant hubs of normal life.
The exhibited photographs can be purchased as limited-edition Gelatin Silver, Baryta and Platin Palladium prints.
Katrin UllmannIn this canon of images, created in 1948/1949, René Groebli developed an independent narrative style for each of the two cities: oscillating between formal modernism and visual poetry, he captured the atmosphere of the post-war era, while also adding his own, entirely unique vision. His images take the viewer on a journey back in time, when cities like London and Paris were emerging from the horrors of war and reclaiming their places as vibrant hubs of normal life.
The exhibited photographs can be purchased as limited-edition Gelatin Silver, Baryta and Platin Palladium prints.
ALL IMAGES ON THIS PAGE: © René Groebli
René Groebli+-
Born in Zürich on 9 October, 1927, he began his training photography with Theo Vornow in 1944, then continued his photographic studies at the Arts & Crafts College in Zürich, before beginning an apprenticeship as cameraman for documentary films in 1946.
As of 1949, he was a photo reporter for various Swiss and international magazines. His first non-commissioned series Magie der Schiene was produced in 1949 by his own Turnus Publishing. He left photo journalism at the beginning of the fifties and began to build up a very successful career as an industrial and commercial photographer, supported by his wife Rita (1923–2013). Groebli’s experiments with colour photography in both free, artistic works, as well as in applied areas, are sensational and enjoy international acclaim. He withdrew from commercial photography at the end of the seventies. More
René Groebli – London, 1949
© Courtesy of Buchkunst Berlin
René Groebli – London, 1949
© Courtesy of Buchkunst Berlin
René Groebli – London, 1949
© Courtesy of Buchkunst Berlin
René Groebli – London, 1949
© Courtesy of Buchkunst Berlin
René Groebli – Paris, 1948
© courtesy of Buchkunst Berlin
René Groebli – Paris, Metro Station, 1949
© courtesy of Buchkunst Berlin