Candida Höfer: Louvre

by Candida Höfer (Photographer), Marie-Laure Bernadac, Henri Loyrette (Contributor)

The architectural history of the Louvre stretches back to the early 13th century. A comparatively modest royal fortress, it became the royal residence under Francois I, friend and patron of Leonardo da Vinci. Louis XIV turned the Louvre into a splendid castle. Four years after the outbreak of the French Revolution, the Louvre opened its doors to the public. The royal art collections, with constant additions through Napoleon's military campaigns and forays as well as donations, purchases and excavations, today make the Louvre one of the world's richest and finest museums. Candida Höfer, known for her images of deserted public spaces, photographed the empty rooms and galleries of the Louvre on days when it was closed to the public. In her luminous color pictures, the treasures of Western art enter into a silent yet eloquent dialog with the architectural setting, the luxurious or sober decor, the building's past, and its present as a museum.

Genres: Art, Photography

56 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2006

About the author

Candida Höfer (German, b.1944) is a photographer known for her large-format images of architectural interiors, which address the psychological environment of social and cultural institutions by acknowledging how public spaces are designed to accommodate and inform the public. After completing studies at the Cologne Werkschule, she enrolled in the Düsseldorf School of Art, where she was taught by Bernd and Hilla Becher, heavily influenced by the formal qualities of the austere documentary photography they endorsed.

Along with fellow German artists Thomas Struth, Andreas Gursky, and Thomas Ruff, Höfer's work became internationally recognized in the 1980s, and her subject matter expanded to include a myriad of places rooted in cultural formation and preservation, including museums, libraries, universities, theaters, civic centers, and historic sites. She has held numerous solo exhibitions throughout Europe and the United States, and her work has been included in several group shows at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Documenta XI in Kassel, and the Museum Ludwig in Cologne. In 2003, Höfer represented Germany in the Venice Biennale with fellow compatriot, Martin Kippenberger. She lives and works in Cologne, Germany.