Pierre Jahan Français, 1909-2003
Les Gisants de Saint-Denis, Anne de Bretagne, 1948
Photography, vintage gelatin-silver print by the artist
30 x 20,8 cm
The marble face of Anne of Brittany stands out in profile against a dark background. By manipulating light and framing as if he were painting a portrait of a live...
The marble face of Anne of Brittany stands out in profile against a dark background. By manipulating light and framing as if he were painting a portrait of a live model, Pierre Jahan imbues this funerary effigy with a singular presence, both sculptural and sensual. This focus on matter and light echoes the nudes the photographer created during the same period, notably in his collaboration with Jean Cocteau for Plain-Chant.Through this series, the photography of the Saint-Denis necropolises transcends mere documentary documentation, reworking the sculpture through light. By isolating the effigies in stark chiaroscuro and tight framing, the image detaches the figures from their architectural and dynastic context. The raking light brings out the texture of the stone, its wear and tear, and its fractures, transforming the funerary monument into a motif that is both abstract and intimate, centered on matter, silence, and time.
Provenance
Atelier Pierre JahanSuccession Pierre Jahan
Literature
Pierre jahan, à l’ombre des rois, lumières et jeux de la photographie, éditions loco, saint dénis musée d’art et d’histoire, 2015, 119p.Pierre Jahan, la pudeur des corps et des pierres, CDA, Enghien les bains, 2026, 75p.