Montreal’s McCord Museum Hosts ‘Horst: Photographer of Style’

Every student of fashion—and of Madonna—immediately recognizes the iconic photographs: the Mainbocher corset, Marlene Dietrich in chiaroscuro, the Hattie Carnegie dresses—all of which are the works of the legendary German-American artist who goes by one name: Horst.

One of the 20^th century’s most influential fashion and portrait photographers, Horst P. Horst (1906-1999) created an extraordinary body of work that includes Parisian haute couture, Hollywood portraiture, Middle Eastern travel photography, male nudes, and the lavish homes of the fashionable and the elite.

Corset by Detolle for Mainbocher © Condé Nast / Horst Estate

The first major retrospective of the works of Horst will be presented at Montreal’s McCord Museum between May 14 and August 23, 2015. Produced by London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, Horst: Photographer of Style will feature more than 250 vintage photographs, as well as sketchbooks, films, archival footage, contact sheets and magazines, as well as eight haute couture gowns from notable designers such as Chanel, Molyneux, Lanvin, Schiaperelli, and Vionnet.

Curated by Susanna Brown, Curator of Photographs at the Victoria & Albert Museum, the exhibition also includes Horst’s nude studies from the Fifties, which were created for an exhibition in Paris during the 1950s. A lifetime aficionado of classical sculpture, Horst posed the models and lit them dramatically in order to accentuate their musculature.

Male nude, 1952 © Condé Nast / Horst Estate

Surrounded by influential mentors throughout his life, Horst was an apprentice to French architect Le Corbusier, as well as a protégé of the Baltic Baron George Hoyningen-Huene, the preeminent photographer of French Vogue. Horst’s first Hollywood portrait was of Bette Davis, which appeared in Vanity Fair, sister publication of Vogue, and immediately secured his reputation as the leading photographer for Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Joan Crawford, Rita Hayworth, Vivien Leigh, Noel Coward, Ginger Rogers, Dietrich, and others.

Horst met Coco Chanel at a costume ball and later became the principal photographer for French Vogue—before Diana Vreeland commissioned Horst for American Vogue. In 1990, Horst’s photograph “Mainbocher Corset” (1939) became intimately associated with Madonna, thanks to her use of the image for her music video for her song “Vogue.”

Marlene Dietrich, New York, 1942 © Condé Nast / Horst Estate

During the 1940s and 1950s, Horst traveled extensively throughout the Middle East, escaping from the world of fashion. Horst: Photographer of Style will feature works taken by Horst in Iran, including images of the annual migration of the nomadic Qashqai clan.

Three years prior to his death at the age of 93, Horst was granted the “Master of Photography” award from New York’s International Center of Photography.

Cover of catalogue featuring “Summer Fashions,” cover of American Vogue, 15 May 1941© Condé Nast / Horst Estate

Published in English by the Victoria & Albert Museum, the 336-page exhibition catalogue by Susanna Brown includes photos and illustrations, as well as a number of essays and notes. The catalogue is available at the McCord Museum boutique for $75.

Dedicated to the preservation, study and appreciation of Montreal’s history as recounted by its people, the McCord Museum is home to one of the largest historical collections in North America, totaling more than 1.4 million artifacts. As well, the McCord Museum produces exhibitions that engage local and global visitors by offering them a contemporary look at the world.

A touring exhibition, Horst: Photographer of Style hosted nearly 100,000 visitors during its London run. Tickets are available online.