“In 1955 I travelled for the first time to Ronchamp, where construction work on Le Corbusier’s fantastic Chapelle Notre-Dame-du-Haut was nearly finished. At the dedication of the church on June 25, 1955, I was able to take my first photographs of the famous architect. Over the years, he let me get closer and closer, first in his office on Rue de Sèvres and later in his home and studio. Once I came to his studio and the door was open, so I went upstairs without ringing the bell. At the rear of the studio, Le Corbusier was busy working on his pictures, as he did almost every morning; he did not let himself be disturbed and probably didn’t even notice my presence. The studio with its limestone walls and the works standing all around, with its chests of drawers and furniture, made a wonderful setting for the portraits. And Le Corbusier, who generally paid a great deal of attention to his appearance, was unexpectedly wearing a casual black-and-white shirt. So I stalked slowly towards the master until I was finally able to point my camera directly at his hands. Only then did he raise his head and say: “Ah! Vous êtes là.” René Burri
Also available in picture size [w x h] 50 x 75 cm (frame 63 x 89.5 cm), edition of 10 each, framed and signed with an embossed stamp, CHF 2'500. This edition can be viewed in the café at Ausstellungsstrasse 60 and can be purchased exclusively at the museum shops at our locations in Zurich.
20% discount for members of the Circle of Friends.