In the Frame: Brigitte Lacombe
Whether photographing some of the most iconic figures of our time or preparing for a major 2027 retrospective, French photographer Brigitte Lacombe has been shaping the language of contemporary portraiture for more than four decades. She was recently named one of the top 100 Femmes de Culture. What makes her tick? Cycladic art, Madame Bovary and the pyramids of Egypt
Brigitte Lacombe, photographed by Brigitte Lacombe, 2023, Paris
What are you working on currently?
Brigitte Lacombe: ‘A retrospective exhibition commissioned by Qatar Museums. It will open in Fall 2027 and then travel.’
What ritual or routine keeps you going?
BL: ‘I wish I had a ritual or routine! I work, travel, work, travel — and then I lie down, read and sleep to recover from the accumulated jet lag before departing again. Part passion, part addiction!’
StudioCat photographed by Brigitte Lacombe, 2008, New York
Amongst Brigitte Lacombe’s current favorite picks at Christie’s is an Egyptian bronze cat, late period to ptolemaic period, 664-30 B.C. 4⅞ in (12.3 cm) high. Estimate: $4,000–6,000. Offered in Antiquities on 23 October 2025 at Christie’s in New York
What works of art made you see things differently?
BL: ‘Cycladic, mingei, the work of Eugène Atget, August Sander, Josef Sudek, Lucio Fontana, Barbara Hepworth…’
Louise Bourgeois photographed by Brigitte Lacombe, 1995, New York
Ed Ruscha photographed by Brigitte Lacombe, 2015, Los Angeles
Which artist or designer from history do you wish you knew more about?
BL: ‘I have so much to learn… Caravaggio? Rothko?’
What are you reading currently?
BL: ‘I’m rereading Alice in Wonderland and Madame Bovary and following international news closely.’
What artists or designers are you excited about right now?
BL: ‘Rachel Whiteread, Marlene Dumas, Christian Marclay.’
Joan Didion, photographed by Brigitte Lacombe, 2005, New York
Your favourite view, anywhere in the world?
BL: ‘The pyramids of Egypt.’
Most memorable art or design show you’ve seen in the past year?
BL:‘Christoph Büchel’s exhibition Monte di Pietà at Fondazione Prada’s Ca’ Corner della Regina in Venice and Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Sueño Perro at Fondazione Prada in Milan. The latter will travel to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 2026.’
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Yves Klein (1928-1962), California, (IKB 71), 1961. Dry pigment and synthetic resin on canvas mounted on panel. 77⅛ x 165¾ in (196 x 421 cm). Estimate on request. Offered in Avant-Garde(s) including Thinking Italian on 23 October 2025 at Christie’s in Paris
Top picks at Christie’s currently?
BL: ‘I was not a collector, but I became one when choosing my favourite artworks from Christie’s upcoming auctions. This painting by Yves Klein from 1961 is a dream of California. I’m also drawn to this Cycladic marble head — to me, it’s the essential portrait. And of course, I am always drawn to cats, and would happily live with this Rembrandt Bugatti panther or this ancient Egyptian feline.’’
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A Cycladic marble head, late Spedos Variety, early Cycladic II, c. 2500-2400 B.C. 6⅛ in (15.5 cm) high. Estimate: $60,000-80,000. Offered in Antiquities on 23 October 2025 at Christie’s in New York
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