Jacques Henri Lartigue: Life in Colour – closes this Sunday

There’s still time to see Jacques Henri Lartigue: Life in Colour at MK Gallery, but hurry – the exhibition closes this Sunday 4th October.
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Art gallery with multi-colored wall sections displaying artworks, two people viewing, and benches in the foreground.

Best known for his striking black and white photographs of Paris during the Belle Époque, French painter, writer and photographer Jacques Henri Lartigue (1894–1986) captured everything from the excitement of early car racing and aviation to life on the French Riviera, fashion and his travels in the United States.

This exhibition offers a chance to discover a lesser-known side of Lartigue’s work, showcasing his vibrant colour photography. Surprisingly, colour images make up almost 40% of the more than 100,000 photographs held by the Donation JH Lartigue, yet many had never been seen publicly until recently.

Featuring more than 150 items, the exhibition brings together photographs, early stereoscopic images, vintage prints, unique works on paper, archival documents, lightboxes and projections. It also traces Lartigue’s creative journey, from drawings he made as a child in the 1900s through to his work in the fashion world during the 1960s and his abstract photography in the 1980s.

This is the first UK public exhibition of Lartigue’s work for more than 10 years, making it a special opportunity to explore the work of a photographer whose influence and legacy continue to be celebrated today.

The exhibition is organised in collaboration with the Association des Amis de Jacques Henri Lartigue, Ministère de la Culture, France and diChroma photography.

Don’t miss it – the exhibition closes on Sunday 4 October.

Two visitors look at art displayed on a gallery wall with colorful vertical sections, featuring long white benches in the foreground.
Photograph by Jo Underwood
Two people's heads through cutout figures of a man in a suit and a woman in a yellow dress, standing on a boardwalk in a desert town.
Jacques and Florette Lartigue, Old Tucson (1962)
A modern art gallery with framed pictures on light gray walls and colorful artworks with abstract shapes displayed in glass cases in the foreground.
Photograph by Jo Underwood
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Meet the expert

If you’re visiting this weekend, why not join Marion Perceval, Director of Donations Lartigue, for an expert tour of the exhibition? Taking place on Saturday 3 October at 2pm, the tour is a great opportunity to discover more about Lartigue’s techniques, influences and legacy, and hear more about the stories behind the work.

🔗 Book the Lartigue tour with Marion Perceval

Good to know: MK Gallery offers

Looking for an affordable way to enjoy the exhibition? MK Gallery has a range of offers to help make your visit more accessible:

  • MK residents: Enjoy exhibition tickets for just £1 every Tuesday.
  • Under 21s: Exhibition entry is free.
  • Pay What You Can Sundays: On the first Sunday of every month, choose to pay between £5 and £15.

Main Image - Installation view of Jacques Henri Lartigue_ Life in Colour at MK Gallery. Photograph by Jo Underwood

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