Horacio Coppola’s images of the Argentine capital use illumination, nightfall and gloom in a way that is comparable to the likes of Rembrandt and Brassaï

 

Wed 11 Jan 2023 07.00 GMTLast modified on Wed 11 Jan 2023 15.06 GMT

  • Calle Corrientes desde Reconquista, Buenos Aires, 1936

    Buenos Aires photographer Horacio Coppola has always experimented with the contrasts of light and shadow. These photographs, taken in the 1930s, are part of an exhibition, Nocturnos, in which night, gloom or projected shadow have a leading role. Nocturnos is showing at the Galería Jorge Mara – La Ruche in Buenos Aires until 28 February. All photographs: Horacio Coppola

    Horacio Coppola, Calle Corrientes desde Reconquista, Buenos Aires, 1936

  • Corrientes esquina Uruguay, Buenos Aires, 1936

    Gallery owner Jorge Mara was a friend of Coppola’s. He said: ‘Coppola’s nocturnal urban landscapes are comparable (in ambition and quality) to those of other famous photographers, cultivators of night photography, from the early decades of the 20th century’

    Corrientes esquina Uruguay, Buenos Aires,1936Gallery owner Jorge Mara - friend of HC“His nocturnal urban landscapes are comparable (in ambition and quality) to those of other famous photographers, cultivators of night photography, from the early decades of the twentieth century”.

  • Baile de Carnaval, Teatro Colon II, Buenos Aires, 1936

    Jorge Mara: ‘In ancient art, before the 17th century, for technical or symbolic reasons, such night scenes were not frequent. In baroque painting, Caravaggio and his followers adopted methods of violent light/shadow contrasts in order to accentuate drama. Rembrandt, Velázquez, Vermeer and other painters masterfully used these contrasts. In the 18th and 19th centuries there were artists who continued to innovate in the use of light/shadow antagonism in visual arts’

    Baile de Carnaval, Teatro Colon II, Buenos Aires,1936Jorge Mara: ‘In ancient art, before the seventeenth century, for technical or symbolic reasons, such night scenes were not frequent. In Baroque painting Caravaggio and his followers adopted methods of violent light/shadow contrasts in order to accentuate the drama of their works. Rembrandt, Velázquez, Vermeer and other painters masterfully used the contrasts of light. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries there were artists who continued to innovate in the use of light/shadow antagonism in visual arts’

  • Calle California, Barrio de la Boca, Buenos Aires, 1931

    Horacio Coppola: ‘I was born on 31 July, 1906, in my parents’ bedroom, on the 2nd floor of a house, designed and run by my father. I began my life as the 10th member in the bosom of a family of adults. At the same time I learned to walk and talk, listen to music, grow plants and cut flowers, be a craftsman in the widest and most diverse handling of instruments, including the camera, raise and live with birds and the most varied kinds of animals, read and write and manage newspapers and books and know the existence of many languages’

    Calle California, Barrio de la Boca, Buenos Aires, 1931“I was born on July 31st, 1906, in my parents’ bedroom, on the 2nd floor of the house built in 1901, designed and run by my father: Corrientes, 3060. I began my life as the tenth member in the bosom of a family of adults. I was offered a plural initiation, and at the same time I learned to walk and talk, listen to music, grow plants and cut flowers, be a craftsman in the widest and most diverse handling of instruments, including, over time the camera, raise and live with birds and the most varied kinds of animals, read and write and manage newspapers and books and know the existence of languages: Genoese, Italian, French, in the framework of Creole exercises; mechanics, arts, science, literature. My home: an already fulfilled organized world”. H.C.

  • Calle Corrientes, Buenos Aires, 1936

    It is with the Hungarian–French photographer Brassaï that Coppola has the greatest affinity. The likeness of their images is often striking. In the 1930s, when Brassaï took most of his Parisian photos, it is unlikely that the Argentine would have been aware of Brassaï’s work. You can see a gallery of Brassaï’s work here

    Calle Corrientes, Buenos Aires,1936It is with the Hungarian–French photographer Brassai that Coppola has his greatest affinity. The likeness of their images is often striking. In the 1930s, when Brassai took most of his Parisian photos, it is unlikely that the Argentine would have been aware of Brassai’s work. You can see a gallery of Brassai’s work here

  • Teatro Opera, 1936

    Coppola lived in Berlin and participated in the Bauhaus until it closed in 1933. There was, presumably, no point of contact between he and Brassaï. But there are common themes in modern photography that both photographers adopted and explored

    Teatro Opera, 1936Coppola then lived in Berlin and participated in the Bauhaus until it closed in 1933. There was, presumably, no point of contact between the two photographers. There are common themes in modern photography ,topics that avant-garde photographers adopted and explored

  • Mateo y su Victoria, Buenos Aires, 1931

    From the beginning of his career, Coppola experimented with the contrasts of light and shade in his images. A large part of his photographic work is marked by the use of shadows, whether environmental or punctual

    Mateo y su Victoria, Buenos Aires,1931From the beginning of his career, Horacio Coppola experimented with the contrasts of light and shadow in his images

  • Buenos Aires, 1936

    Coppola’s best known work is his famed photographic series, called simply Buenos Aires 1936

    Buenos Aires, 1936Coppola’s best known work is his famed photographic series, Buenos Aires 1936

  • Av. Corrientes al 3000, Buenos Aires, 1936

    ‘Sometimes, things are there. You just have to know how to look,’ Coppola once said

    Av. Corrientes al 3000, Buenos Aires,1936A large part of Coppola’s photographic work is marked by the use of shadows, whether environmental or punctual

  • Campana, Buenos Aires, 1931

    In the early 1930s, Coppola attended photography courses by the famous teacher Walter Peterhans at the Bauhaus, where Peterhans ran the photography department

    Campana, Buenos Aires,1941 “Sometimes, things are there. You just have to know how to look”. H.C.

  • Obelisco, Buenos Aires, 1936

    At Bauhaus, Coppola met the German photographer Grete Stern, also a pupil of Peterhans. The two young photographers soon formed a couple, and in 1933, when the Bauhaus closed its doors (due to Hitler’s rise to power), they left for London

    Obelisco, Buenos Aires,1936BAUHAUS styleIn early 1930s’, Horacio Coppola attended the photography courses imparted by the famous photographer and teacher Walter Peterhans at the Bauhaus, where the latter ran the Photography Departatment. There Coppola met the German photographer, Grete Stern, also a pupil of Peterhan’s. The two young photographers soon formed a couple, and in 1933, when the Bauhaus closed its doors (due to Hitler’s rise to power), they left for London. In England both were very active, in graphic design (Stern) and photographic commissions (Coppola). At that time the Argentinian also made a short documentary film, A Sunday Afternoon at Hampstead Heath.

  • San Jose esquina Victoria, Buenos Aires, 1936

    In 1935 Coppola and Stern got married and left Europe. They travelled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where they settled permanently. Shortly after their arrival in Buenos Aires, they jointly mounted an exhibition of their work on the premises of the prestigious literary magazine Sur. It is considered the advent of modern photography in Argentina

    San Jose esquina Victoria, Buenos Aires,1936In 1935 Coppola and Stern got married and left Europe. They travelled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, were they settled permanently. Shortly after their arrival in Buenos Aires, they jointly mounted an exhibition of their work on the premises of the prestigious literary magazine Sur. It is considered the advent of modern photography in Argentina

  • Calle Florida, Buenos Aires, 1936

    Coppola and Stern became known as founders of modern Latin American photography

    Calle Florida, Buenos Aires,1936Coppola and Stern became known as founders of modern Latin American photography

  • Nocturno, Avenida Costanera, Buenos Aires, 1936

    These images established Coppola’s pre-eminence in the photographic scene of his country as well as in the rest of the continent

    Nocturno, Avenida Costanera, Buenos Aires,1936