George Hoyningen-Huene

An Iconic Photographer of the Twentieth Century

George Hoyningen-Huene is acknowledged as one of the most iconic pioneers in the genre of fashion photography. His elegant pared down style has had a dramatic impact on fashion houses around the world and his work continues to have relevance today, as someone who created some of the most striking photographic portraits and compositions of the twentieth century.

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Recent exhibition

George Hoyningen-Huene - The Master of Elegance and Allure

ARTitude Galeria, Singapore, April 27 - May 24, 2024

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Divers, Horst and Lee Miller, Paris, 1930

anna wintour’s favorite

When asked to choose her favorite Vogue photographs, Anna Wintour included Huene’s The Divers (July 1930). She also selected images by Edward Steichen, Horst P Horst, Irving Penn and Cecil Beaton. At the centre of this circle of international photographers, was Huene. This gifted group would help to create the look and style of the 1930’s era, and beyond. Also included, were photographers Richard Avedon, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Lee Miller, all of whom were active supporters of the human rights movement. Huene was one of the first fashion photographers to use male models in photo shoots.

Form – light – shadow

George Hoyningen-Huene will be remembered for his unmatched talent for balancing color, form, light, shadow, and the pared-back look of his images. Many of his timeless photographic masterpieces are in the collections of the world’s leading museums, including the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), NYC.

Ernor Carise with a Hula Hoop, 1930

“Isn’t that going to be awfully dull and drab?” George Hoyningen-Huene’s use of neutrals

Dr Lucy Fife Donaldson

This audiovisual essay is published in [in]Transition: Journal of Videographic and Moving Image Studies (10.2, 2023) mediacommons.org/intransition
Research for this project was funded by the British Academy.

Photo of the week

This is where we share our favourite George Hoyningen-Huene photographs and latest discoveries from the archive.

Claudette Colbert, born Émilie Chauchoin on 13 September 1903. This portrait of Colbert by George Hoyningen-Huene was published in Vanity Fair in October 1934 alongside a review her new film, Cleopatra. By 1938 she was America’s highest-paid movie star. ‘The latest Cecil B. De Mille “epic” cost about $1,000,000 to produce, employed 5,000 people, was 14 months in the making, and opened on Broadway in the middle of August with one of those fantastic “world premieres”, involving flash-light photographs, newsreel cameras on vans, mounted policemen, invited celebrities, and the most amazing series of newspaper advertisements…’ #georgehoyningenhuene #claudettecolbert #vanityfair #cleopatra #1934 #blackandwhitephotography #goldenageofhollywood

Thanks to the @financialtimes for this great article by Christian House on collecting George Hoyningen-Huene photographs. This weekend @fthtsi 💫 @atlasgallery @jaeger.art.advisory @sothebys @christiesinc @thamesandhudson #georgehoyningenhuene #artcollector #photographycollector #platinumpalladium #gelatinsilver #collectingphotography #fashionphotography #vintagevogue #vintagevanityfair #vintageharpersbazaar #1920sfashion #1930sfashion

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