Self-portrait. Monte Carlo 1993 © Helmut Newton Foundation
Helmut Newton was born in Berlin in 1920 and began his training at the age of 16 alongside the famous fashion photographer Yva, but soon left the city to escape the persecution of the Jews. After a few trips as a photojournalist, he opened a small studio in Melbourne with his future wife June. In 1956, Newton began collaborating with Vogue Australia, Vogue England, and Henry Talbot, in their joint studio in Melbourne.
In 1961 he moved to Paris with his wife and established his style, becoming an innovative photographer working for Vogue France, Elle Francia and Queen Magazine. He immediately shows himself able to capture the spirit of the times, marked by the sexual revolution of the end of the decade.
In 1981 he developed a new visual concept for Vogue Italia and France, asking the models to undress after a photo shoot and portraying them in the same pose, but naked.
In the '90s Newton used a more avant-garde approach, working both for fashion editorials and with designers like Chanel, Thierry Mugler, YSL and Wolford and with other clients such as Swarovski and Lavazza. In this period fashion photography began to establish itself in the art market with "stellar" quotations.
In 2003 Newton established his foundation in Berlin. The opening took place posthumously, as Newton died in 2004, and his wife June became its president. The foundation has organized exhibitions of Newton’s work around the globe, and has hosted exhibitions on various aspects of his incomparable and extensive oeuvre. An archive of negatives, contact sheets and prints of Helmut Newton and his wife has been established.
Helmut Newton. Mansfield, British Vogue. London, 1967 © Helmut Newton Foundation
