Philippe Halsman. Lampo di genio

The brilliant 20th-century portrait photographer is the protagonist of the first Italian retrospective, hosted at the Museum of Rome in Trastevere and realized in collaboration with the Halsman Archive in New York.

The exhibition, curated by Alessandra Mauro, is a journey into Halsman's universe which, through an unpublished selection of 100 colour and black and white images of different formats, retraces his artistic vision and personal and professional life.

Between document and imagination, the artist's photographs "reveal" personalities of culture and entertainment world of the 19th century in a game of technique, art and synergies: from his friend Salvador Dalì, interpreter of an exceptional series of portraits, to the beautiful Marilyn Monroe; from the Dukes of Windsor to scientists and crowned heads, chiefs of state and movie stars, who with his "jumpology" makes jump in front of the camera in a studio with lights, backdrops and equipment.

From his beginnings in Paris in the 1930s to his collaborations with major magazines and the 101 Life magazine covers, Halsman realized surprising portraits of great visual impact, capturing originally and creatively «most completely both the exterior and the interior of the subject» with "flashes of genius", introspection and a refined technique, creating an original and revolutionary style.

Realized respecting the principles of sustainability, the exhibition is accompanied by a series of meetings with portrait photographers presenting their vision and technique about portraits, followed by workshops at the Leica headquarters in Rome.

The exhibition is promoted by Roma Capitale, Assessorato alla Cultura, Sovrintendenza Capitolina ai Beni Culturali, organized by Contrasto and Zètema Progetto Cultura, in collaboration with BNL BNP Paribas and Leica Camera Italia.

Image: The actress Anna Magnani, Roma, 1951, © Philippe Halsman Archive 2023