Freund, Gisèle (1912–2000)
Freund, Gisèle (1912–2000)
German-born French photographer. Name variations: Gisele Freund. Born in Berlin, Germany, 1912; died 2000 in Paris; studied sociology and art history, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Breisgau, Germany, 1932–33; Sorbonne, PhD in sociology and art, 1936; m. Pierre Blum, 1937 (div. 1948).
Became a naturalized citizen of France (1936); was known for her photo portraits, many in color as early as 1938, of literary and artistic greats, including James Joyce, Jean-Paul Sartre, Colette, Virginia Woolf, Elsa Triolet, Sylvia Beach, André Malraux, and Matisse; moved to Lot, France, to escape Nazis (1940–42); was photographer and assistant film producer in Argentina and Chile with Louis Jouvet Theatre Co. (1943–44); worked for France Libre, Argentina (1944–45); lived in New York City (1947–49), then Mexico (1950–52); was a member of Magnum Photos in Paris (1947–54); as a freelance photojournalist for Life, Weekly Illustrated, Picture-Post and Paris Match, produced photoessays on everyone from unemployed workers to Evita Peron; books include Photography and Society, The World and My Camera, Three Days with Joyce and Gisèle Freund: Photographer. Honored with Grand Prix National des Arts, France (1980).