This survey monograph on Albert Renger-Patzsch (1897-1966), considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the 20th-century photography, leader of the New Objectivity movement that appeared in Germany in the 1920s. Author of a monumental oeuvre, his work encompasses a variety of themes and genres. This selection of close to 200 photographs taken over 40 years, offers a complete overview of Renger-Patzsch documentary style based on realist sobriety and frankness whether he photographs a detail of plant, an animal or an industrial landscape. The photographer’s vision arranges, organizes the shapes sometimes isolating one part in a close-up. This objective approach with nevertheless a poetic resonance intensifies our perception of reality and nourishes our imagination.

This large body of photographs comes with illustrated essays (in French) shedding light on the multiple aspects of his work which exerted a decisive influence on generations of photographers, including Bernd and Hilla Becher, and still today within the context of contemporary art and culture.