Horst P. Horst. The Geometry of Grace

Le Stanze della Fotografia
February 21st - July 5th 2026

curated by Anne Morin in collaboration with Denis Curti
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From February 21th to July 5th, 2026 Le Stanze della Fotografia will present, on the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore, a major exhibition dedicated to one of the undisputed masters of twentieth-century photography: Horst P. Horst (Weissenfels-an-der-Saale,
1906 – Florida, 1999). Curated by Anne Morin in collaboration with Denis Curti, Horst P. Horst. The Geometry of Grace offers an original and multifaceted interpretation of the work of the German-born, American-naturalised photographer, revealing the depth and complexity of his vision beyond the fashion photography that made him famous on the pages of Vogue.

The exhibition brings together over 300 works, many of which are being shown for the first time. The selection includes colour photographs, presented in Italy on this occasion, displayed alongside vintage prints, drawings, documents and previously unseen materials. Together, they invite visitors to discover an artist who transformed photography into a meditation on harmony, proportion, and beauty as the balance between the parts and the whole.

Before devoting himself to photography, Horst studied architecture in Hamburg and Paris, where he collaborated with Le Corbusier. From this background stems his poetics of pure form, in which light and space merge in a rigorous equilibrium. In his compositions – constructed as true visual architectures – one can perceive the principles of the Bauhaus and the aspiration towards “minimal space”, a key concept of modern architecture. This formal discipline became the hallmark of a unique style: Horst transformed fashion photography into an exercise in harmony, a meeting point between modernism and classicism, between rigour and sensuality.

HORST P. HORST. Hands, Hands, Hands, 1941. © Horst Estate

HORST P. HORST. Maria Callas, Waldorf Astoria Hotel, New York, 1952. © Horst Estate

HORST P. HORST. Untitled, c. 1960s. © Horst Estate

HORST P. HORST. Yves Saint Laurent, undated. © Horst Estate

Horst P. Horst’s photographic language does not simply capture the visible but stems from a quest for essence, from the desire to grasp that living, vibrant dimension of reality in which every image contains that “glimmer of truth” which Plato defined as beauty in its purest form. His work thus belongs to a tradition in which beauty is not mere appearance, but the manifestation of something that transcends reality.

Anne Morin

The exhibition unfolds as a journey through Horst’s lifelong pursuit of balance and proportion. From the influences of Bauhaus and Classicism to the architectural construction of the image, from fashion photography to his magnificent flower studies and still lifes, from portraits – including Cecil Beaton, Ingrid Bergman, Maria Callas, Coco Chanel, Salvador Dalí, Marlene Dietrich, Karl Lagerfeld, Yves Saint Laurent, Gianni Versace, Luchino Visconti – to his explorations of form and the human figure, the exhibition reveals the vision of an artist who succeeded in blending art, design and photography into a unique language, poised between modernity and timelessness.

Open call for young photographers
Le Stanze della Fotografia Foundation announce a new competition dedicated to young photographers under 30, inspired by the themes of the major exhibition devoted to Horst P. Horst. As in the previous edition, participants are invited to develop a visual reflection starting from the quotation “Fashion is an expression of the times. Elegance is something else”, by creating three photographs that interpret its meaning.

The competition, free and open to all, will run until February 1st, 2026. Submissions will be evaluated by a distinguished jury composed of: Denis Curti, co-curator of the exhibition; Gert Elfering, Owner of the Horst P. Horst Estate; Francesca Malgara, Artistic Director of MIA Photo Fair; Francesca Marani, Senior Photo Editor at Vogue Italia; and Anne Morin, curator of the exhibition and Director of Chroma Photography.

The jury will select between 4 and 6 finalists, whose names will be announced during the press conference for the exhibition Horst P. Horst. The Geometry of Grace at Le Stanze della Fotografia, scheduled for February 20th, 2026. The selected photographs will be on display at Le Stanze della Fotografia for the entire duration of the exhibition and will be featured on the exhibition’s official social media channels. In addition, the works will also be exhibited at Le Stanze della Fotografia’s stand at the MIA Photo Fair in Milan, taking place from 19th to 22nd March, 2026. During the fair, visitors will have the opportunity to vote for the finalist works, and at the end of the event, the three winners will be announced. The winning works will be marked with a plaque within Le Stanze della Fotografia.

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