Denis Brihat

Born in 1928 (Paris), ✝︎ 03.12.2024 (Bonnieux) France -French artist photographer,

About the Artist

Denis Brihat, born in 1928 in Paris, is a renowned French photographer, celebrated for his artistic approach to photography, particularly in the realm of still life and botanical studies.

Brihat began his career in the 1950s as a reportage photographer, working with magazines such as Elle. However, dissatisfied with the limitations of commercial photography, he decided to pursue a more personal and artistic direction. A pivotal moment came in 1958 when, after a transformative trip to India, he settled in Bonnieux, a village in Provence, where he dedicated himself to photographing nature.

He is best known for his work capturing natural subjects—flowers, fruits, vegetables, and minerals—through black-and-white photography enhanced with chemical toning techniques using gold, platinum, and copper. By focusing on texture, light, and the nuanced tones of his prints, Brihat elevates these simple objects to the level of fine art. He considers himself more of a “painter with photography” than a conventional photographer, emphasizing the importance of the printmaking process as an expressive medium.

Brihat’s work has been exhibited widely, including at the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the Agathe Gaillard Gallery in Paris. He is regarded as a pioneer of plastic photography in France, helping to establish photography as a recognized art form.

Dialogue (12.01>01.03.2025)

In Memoriam of Denis Brihat

Michèle Schoonjans Gallery is deeply saddened to learn of the death of Denis Brihat at the age 96, one of France's greatest art-photographers, recognised the world over as a pioneer, as an advocate of photography as an artform and creator of an impressive oeuvre..

Some obituaries attempt to capture the essence of this great figure:

· Denis Brihat was one of the key figures in French photography. Fascinating and at times even bewitching, his work is a committed reflection on the photographic medium and a poetic meditation on the meaning of existence. Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BNF)

· The last of the great dinosaurs of French photography has passed away. An exceptional figure. The Eye of Photography

· ...Brihat created a unique artistic style and printing process. The colours in his photographs are dazzling and are obtained entirely by toning… .Nialy Alexander Gallery, New York

· An essential and original figure in French photography, ... has quietly established himself as a great master of the still life photography. Libération

· Denis Brihat, the gardener of photography, has died. Télérama

· He would sometimes work for weeks on a print, which he called a 'photographic painting'.. ... he was one of the first to think of sharing his knowledge ... and was behind the meetings that became the Rencontres d'Arles. Le Bec en l'air

From 12 January 2025, the Michèle Schoonjans Gallery will be presenting an exhibition of still life artworks by Denis Brihat and by the Dutch art photographer Danielle Kwaaitaal as part of the Brussels Photo Festival.

We met Denis Brihat in the summer of 2019 at his place in Bonnieux, before his great exhibition at the BNF in Paris. For the preparation of the coming exhibition in our gallery in Brussels, we had this summer the pleasure of meeting Denis Brihat and his wife Solange again in their lovely house in Luberon. Denis Brihat, an eminent figure and a warm and articulate human being, of which we have fond memories, will be sorely missed. Our thoughts are with Solange and those close to her.