Michou SIMON (1931-2003) - Lot 18

Michou SIMON (1931-2003) Brigitte Bardot and Leslie Caron. 1953. 6th Cannes Film Festival. Barefoot and hand in hand, Brigitte Bardot and Leslie Caron sketch a pas de deux in the gardens of the Hotel Eden-Roc on Cap d'Antibes. May 1953. 52 x 78 cm Art market print history: Later print on baryta paper. Edition 1/1. Galerie Taylor edition : 1/1 Galerie Taylor finishing: Posterior print on baryta paper. Framed in black wood and matted 5 cm round. Note: Michou Simon (1931-2003) follows in the tradition of photojournalism and celebrity photography of the 1950s, accurately capturing the energy, grace and spontaneity of his era. His eye focuses on moments of lightness, movement and complicity, revealing public figures in moments of release and freedom, far from the official pose. Through his images, he contributes to the construction of a modern mythology, in which the star becomes both icon and living presence. In this photograph of Brigitte Bardot and Leslie Caron, taken at the 6th Cannes Film Festival in May 1953, Simon captures a moment of pure, carefree joy. Barefoot, hand in hand, the two actresses dance in the gardens of the Hotel Eden-Roc, transforming the space into an ephemeral stage. Movement, light and composition give the image an almost choreographic dimension, emblematic of the natural elegance of the period. This later print on baryta paper, published 1/1 by Galerie Taylor, lends the work a rarity and materiality that reinforce its historical as well as poetic value.