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• Issue #171
• Article

Louis Klaitman Fine Photographs and Robert Tat Gallery will present a selection of classic images by two photographers whose lives and careers were intertwined: Horst P. Horst and George Hoyningen-Huene are icons of 20th-century art and fashion. Together, they virtually redefined photographic elegance. The exhibition from May 1-July 31, 2010 at the Robert Tat Gallery (which comes from Louis Klaitman's large collection of prints) features a selection of Horst and Hoyningen-Hune's iconic photographs, including: Mainboucher Corset, Round the Clock I, Divers (Horst & Model), Horst Torso, Male Nude, and Lisa with Harp, as well as lesser-known but equally important photographs.

Horst and Hoyningen-Huene first met in 1930. Trained as an art student in Germany, Horst had come to Paris to apprentice with Le Corbusier. To his disappointment, he found the great architect a stiff and un-giving figure. Wandering about Paris cafes in search of something more vital, he encountered Hoyningen-Huene, to whom he took an immediate liking. To Horst's surprise the feeling was returned by the older Hoyningen-Huene. Soon the two men were seen everywhere together, and eventually became lovers.

Horst started visiting his companion at the Vogue studio, where he lent a hand assembling and lighting sets. Horst also occasionally modeled for Hoyningen-Huene and was featured in a number of his most celebrated compositions (for example, the Two Swimmers). Hoyningen-Huene often took Horst to visit friends outside Paris. These trips abroad, whether for work or pleasure, exposed Horst to his companion's worldly attributes, while giving him a sense of the role of the professional fashion photographer.

In the spring of 1931 Horst was given an opportunity by Vogue's American art director, Dr Agha, who was visiting Paris. Horst put Hoyningen-Huene's instruction to the test, and, to his delight, his first photograph was published in the magazine that November. His work was praised and Horst was given additional responsibility. When Hoyningen-Huene eventually left Vogue for good, it was Horst who inherited his mantle.

The Robert Tat Gallery specializes in 20th-century European and American photographs, with an emphasis on Photographic Modernism. The gallery is located at San Francisco's premiere gallery building, 49 Geary Street, Suite 211 in downtown San Francisco. The gallery's phone is 1-415-781-1122, and the email is: info@roberttat.com . The gallery also maintains an extensive online presence at http://www.roberttat.com . The gallery is open Tuesday-Saturday, from 11 am-5:30 pm and by appointment; it is also open the first Thursday of the month until 7:30 pm.

Louis Klaitman Fine Photographs, a private dealer, specializing in vintage and contemporary photographs, has been active in the photographic art community for over 25 years. His collecting interest evolved into selling and researching photographs for private clients, acquiring inventory directly from photographers, collectors and estates worldwide. Photographs can be viewed by appointment at his studio in Berkeley, CA or on his web site: http://www.louisklaitman.com . His phone number is 1-443-956-3761, and his email is: photofocus@erols.com .