After Milan and Berlin, the retrospective “Helmut Newton. Legacy” is finally making a stop at the Ara Pacis Museum in Rome, to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of this leading figure in photography.
This event, curated by the directors of the Helmut Newton Foundation and the Stanze della Fotografia, was postponed because of the pandemic. The Roman institution is exhibiting 250 photographs, magazines and documents that shed new light on the singularity, style and provocative side of “Helmut Newton (1920-2004)”. Alongside his most famous images, previously unpublished works shed light on lesser-known aspects of his work. A focus is devoted to images that often refer to the cinema of Alfred Hitchcock, François Truffaut and Federico Fellini. Polaroids, prints, special publications and archive documents invite us to (re)define his entire creative process.
Chronological chapters break down the different phases of his life and career over half a century, illustrated by some of his most iconic photographs, such as the “Big Nudes” series. For Helmut Newton is also a powerful and complex view of femininity, defying attempts to categorise women.
“His models have a full awareness of their own bodies, a subtle irony and a defiant attitude towards others, without ever lapsing into vulgarity or banality”, say the organisers. The museum closes this itinerant retrospective with an exclusive presentation of previously unseen footage shot in Rome.
Crédits photos : © Helmut Newton
« Helmut Newton. Legacy »
Musée de l’Ara Pacis
Lungotevere in Augusta, Rome (Italie)
Du 18 octobre 2023 au 10 mars 2024