A Life of Painting and Photography
Born in Saigon, France, Émile Savitry was a painter and photographer who studied at the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs and the Grande Chaumiere Academy of Fine Arts. After a period of travel to Polynesia, he returned to Paris and co-founded the Rapho agency in 1933. His photographic career included covering the refugee influx from the Spanish Civil War and contributing to various magazines such as Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and Paris Match. He was also known for his film stills, working with directors like Marcel Carné and Jacques Prévert.
Savitry's portraiture captured many mid-century personalities, including:
Artistic Transitions and Later Years
Throughout his career, Savitry moved between the worlds of fine art and photojournalism. In 1929, he held a show at Zborowski's gallery, and later in the 1960s, he returned to painting, exhibiting at the Renée Laporte gallery in Antibes. His work has been featured in various exhibitions, including those at the Centre Georges-Pompidou and the Musée Mendjisky. He died in Paris.
