Germaine Krull

The photographer to Robert and Sonia Delaunay

Andrew Roth, ed., The Book of 101 Books: Seminal Photographic Books of the Twentieth Century, New York, 2001, pp. 46-47, illustrated (variants)

Martin Parr and Gerry Badger, The Photobook: A History, Vol. I, London, 2004, p. 95, illustrated (variant)

Michel Frizot, Germaine Krull, Paris: Jeu de Paume, 2015, pp. 51-54, illustrated (variants)

This exceptional collection of photographs from Germaine Krull’s iconic series Métal is a testament to her close relationship with the multidisciplinary, abstract artists Robert and Sonia Delaunay. When Krull arrived in Paris in 1926, she became acquainted with the couple, both of whom were key figures in the Parisian avant-garde. Alongside Sonia Delaunay, Krull started taking on fashion assignments as well as commercial and industrial photographic projects.

Thanks to the help of Robert Delaunay, Krull exhibited her photographs of automobiles, Dutch bridges, and low-angle shots of the Eiffel Tower at the Salon d’automne in 1926. In 1927, many of the images were later published in her portfolio Métal, comprised of 64 plates accompanied by a text by Florent Fels. Resolutely modernist and deliberately provocative,Métal is considered a manifesto of modernity, in line with Lázló Mohogy-Nagy's book Fotografie Malerei in Film, published two years earlier.

With the help of the Delaunays, Krull’s career took off. She took part in historical exhibitions such as Fotografie der Gegenwart in Essen (1929), Film und Foto in Stuttgart (1929), Das Lichtbild in Munich (1930), as well as in the International Exhibition of photography in Brussels (1932). Her photographs were also published in several magazines, such as Vu and Marianne, as well as avant-garde publications like Bifur and Variétés.

As seen in the present lot, Krull's vertiginous close-ups, angled views, and radical use of the frame edge bring her compositions in close proximity to the work of Robert Delaunay; he also utilized the powerful effect of dramatic viewpoints, which he vividly painted in a range of flamboyant colors.

Krull’s portfolio Métal is in many prestigious collections, including Folkwang Museum Essen; the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; and The Museum of Modern Art, New York.