Vintage Photograph of Michele Morgan on Silver Paper by Teddy Piaz's

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Piaz's portraits often featured dramatic lighting and carefully composed poses, creating timeless images. Through this black-and-white portrait, Piaz perfectly captures … Read more Piaz's portraits often featured dramatic lighting and carefully composed poses, creating timeless images. Through this black-and-white portrait, Piaz perfectly captures the aesthetic essence of French actress Michele Morgan, including her powerful and hypnotic gaze that can only be sustained for a few seconds, cementing her status as an international star from her very first film.
Her gaze, of a limpid blue, enigmatic and distant, sometimes compared to that of Greta Garbo, inspires Jacques Prévert, one of the most famous lines of the cinema in "Port of Shadows" where the character, incarnated by Jean Gabin, whispers to her: "T'as d'beaux yeux, tu sais." Teddy Piaz was known for his skill in capturing the soul of his subjects. This portrait showcases the actress's face with intense sculpted contrasts and skillful manipulation of light, which exemplifies Teddy Piaz's signature style and global recognition.

In the past, actors were often viewed as unapproachable and almost god-like figures. However, with the rise of social media, the illusion of familiarity has made them seem more accessible to their fans. Photographs taken by studios in the pre-World War II era captured the essence of this time and served as a reminder of how these actors and actresses were once seen as untouchable beings. The black-and-white style imbues a distinctive ambiance, establishing a distance between the audience and the portrayed subjects. This imparts a timeless quality to studio portraits like those created by Piaz and Harcourt, elevating them to an art form worth treasuring.

Despite being a prominent figure in the world of photography, informations about Teddy Piaz remains shrouded in mystery. Born in 1900, details about his death are unknown. What we do know is that Piaz's studio was among the most significant during his time and was dedicated to creating portraits of Music Hall artists like Josephine Baker and Mistinguett, ballet dancers such as Serge Lifar, singers, film actors, and many other celebrities. During his career, Piaz worked also with many of the most famous figures of his time, including artists like Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, and Henri Matisse, as well as fashion icons like Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli. His photographs were widely published in magazines and newspapers and are now considered to be some of the most iconic images of the early and mid-20th century. Hundreds of his portraits were used for postcards, and Piaz was also associated with a number of 45 rpm records from the 1950s and 1960s, at a time when it was fashionable to include the performer's portrait on the cover.

It's also interesting to note that Cosette Harcourt worked at Piaz's studio for some time before opening her own studio, the exclusive Studio Harcourt. The Piaz Studio was located at 122 Champs-Élysées, the avenue running between the Place de la Concorde and the Place Charles de Gaulle, where the Arc de Triomphe is located. Despite the lack of personal details about Piaz, his legacy as one of the most influential portrait photographers lives on. See less