“Photography has always been a kind of double-sided mirror for me. One side reflecting my subject, the other reflecting me ,” declared the legendary photographer Richard Avedon, highlighted at the Gagosian Gallery in a retrospective that honors the centenary of his birth. The exhibition reveals the refined universe of this black and white lover who revolutionized fashion photography by shaking up the usually rigid models. Profoundly innovative, he represents them in movement, sometimes in the street and establishes himself as a true pioneer of this art, crowned with the modest nickname the “icon maker”.

Around sixty iconic portraits, expressive faces and authentic presences roam the walls of the gallery and place us as close as possible to the visionary genius of a founding artist with timeless influence. Creator of images and revealer of the elegance of the mid-20th century, his emblematic portraits of Brigitte Bardot, Marylin Monroe, Marian Anderson, Bob Dylan and even the Beatles testify here to his incontestable ability to capture the deep essence of his models thanks to an exacerbated sensitivity. He thus immortalized a considerable number of stars, collaborated with Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Christian Dior and elevated unknowns to the rank of icon with photos illustrating the diversity of his work. This fascinating tribute celebrates a master of photography in the heart of the capital, which was one of his first sources of inspiration.