Jacques-Henri Lartigue

This monograph, authored by Jacqueline Kelen and published in 1985 by Desclée de Brouwer, serves as an analytical exploration of the life and visual legacy of Jacques-Henri Lartigue. Released during a period when Lartigue’s reputation as one of the 20th century's most significant amateur-turned-professional photographers had been solidified by his retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art, the book positions his work within the broader context of French aesthetic tradition and the early development of candid photography.

The volume examines the intersection of Lartigue’s exuberant personal diaries and his photographic practice, focusing on his uncanny ability to capture the ephemeral joy and technological optimism of the Belle Époque. Kelen’s writing contextualizes Lartigue not merely as a chronicler of leisure and high society, but as a sophisticated visual stylist whose intuitive approach to composition influenced generations of street and fashion photographers. Upon its release, the book was noted for its thoughtful synthesis of Lartigue's expansive archives and its contribution to the scholarly appreciation of his visual diary style.