The distinctive, often avant-garde images of Swiss photographer René Groebli have helped shape photographic vision and design on an international level.
Although Groebli initially had a greater interest in film, he began an apprenticeship as a photographer in Zurich in 1943. In 1944-45, he attended the photography class of Hans Finsler at the then Zurich Kunstgewerbeschule, whose emphasis on the static contradicted Groebli's personality and creativity. He therefore decided to turn to his original interest, film. From 1946, he completed an apprenticeship as a documentary cameraman, but continued to work intensively in photography and kept experimening with capturing movement in single photographs.
In 1949, at the young age of 22, he published the photographic essay Rail Magic (Magie der Schiene) with only 14 photos that recreate a journey on a steam train on its way from Paris to Basel; with a lot of smoke, motion blur and grain. Clearly ahead of its time, the publication with its new, cinematographic approach to photography did not meet with much interest by the broader public. Only few conoisseurs recognised it as the seminal work it is seen as today, a series uniting “all the ingredients of a photographic classic” (Guido Magnaguagno). In total contrast to the cool, clean-cut objectivity which most Swiss post-war photography maintained, Rail Magic was a brilliant announcement of Subjective Photography, which would go on to radically change the medium in the early 1950s. Today, Rail Magic is seen as one of the milestones in the international history of the photo book.
In 1951, Groebli married Rita Dürmüller, who supported him artistically throughout his life. In 1951-53, he worked as a photo reporter for the Black Star agency in London. From 1953, he focused on color photography and opened his own studio. He perfected the dye-transfer process and was named “Master of Color” by U.S. Color Annual in 1957. In 1954, he once again succeeded in attracting the attention of the photographic scene to his artistic work with the photo essay The Eye of Love. Taken during a belated honeymoon, 25 pictures show his young wife in intimate moments in simple French hotels, a playful poem in pictures. Inspired by the moods in films of French poetic realism and designed in collaboration with Werner Zryd, the publication is now considered a milestone in the history of photography books. It is hardly surprising that one of the photographs, The Sitting Nude, was bought by Edward Steichen for the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Even in the context of industry and advertising, Groebli’s color photography (1953-1980) left factual representation far behind with its consistently placed blur, movement, energy and colourful atmosphere at the centre. He remained faithful to this type of photography until the end of the 1970s, working with color alienation, crossfading, montage and pushing the dye transfer process to its limits, thus doing pioneering artistic work. In 1977, René Groebli rediscovered the creative potential of black-and-white photography. Working outside the constraints of commissioned projects, he began photographing spontaneously and without a predefined purpose, producing images in New York, Ireland, and the South of France, among other places. This personal exploration marked a shift away from his commercial practice. To this day, Groebli continues to work tirelessly on his image archive, which has been compiled over the course of more than 70 years. For decades, his work has been exhibited widely and internationally in shows, museums and fairs and is part of important collections such as the ones of the MoMa (Museum of Modern Art, new York) and the MEP (Maison Européenne de la photographie, Paris). During his commercial career, he had created campaigns for international clients, developed advertising concepts, and produced company brochures – contributing significantly to the evolution of color photography.
Although Groebli initially had a greater interest in film, he began an apprenticeship as a photographer in Zurich in 1943. In 1944-45, he attended the photography class of Hans Finsler at the then Zurich Kunstgewerbeschule, whose emphasis on the static contradicted Groebli's personality and creativity. He therefore decided to turn to his original interest, film. From 1946, he completed an apprenticeship as a documentary cameraman, but continued to work intensively in photography and kept experimening with capturing movement in single photographs.
In 1949, at the young age of 22, he published the photographic essay Rail Magic (Magie der Schiene) with only 14 photos that recreate a journey on a steam train on its way from Paris to Basel; with a lot of smoke, motion blur and grain. Clearly ahead of its time, the publication with its new, cinematographic approach to photography did not meet with much interest by the broader public. Only few conoisseurs recognised it as the seminal work it is seen as today, a series uniting “all the ingredients of a photographic classic” (Guido Magnaguagno). In total contrast to the cool, clean-cut objectivity which most Swiss post-war photography maintained, Rail Magic was a brilliant announcement of Subjective Photography, which would go on to radically change the medium in the early 1950s. Today, Rail Magic is seen as one of the milestones in the international history of the photo book.
In 1951, Groebli married Rita Dürmüller, who supported him artistically throughout his life. In 1951-53, he worked as a photo reporter for the Black Star agency in London. From 1953, he focused on color photography and opened his own studio. He perfected the dye-transfer process and was named “Master of Color” by U.S. Color Annual in 1957. In 1954, he once again succeeded in attracting the attention of the photographic scene to his artistic work with the photo essay The Eye of Love. Taken during a belated honeymoon, 25 pictures show his young wife in intimate moments in simple French hotels, a playful poem in pictures. Inspired by the moods in films of French poetic realism and designed in collaboration with Werner Zryd, the publication is now considered a milestone in the history of photography books. It is hardly surprising that one of the photographs, The Sitting Nude, was bought by Edward Steichen for the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Even in the context of industry and advertising, Groebli’s color photography (1953-1980) left factual representation far behind with its consistently placed blur, movement, energy and colourful atmosphere at the centre. He remained faithful to this type of photography until the end of the 1970s, working with color alienation, crossfading, montage and pushing the dye transfer process to its limits, thus doing pioneering artistic work. In 1977, René Groebli rediscovered the creative potential of black-and-white photography. Working outside the constraints of commissioned projects, he began photographing spontaneously and without a predefined purpose, producing images in New York, Ireland, and the South of France, among other places. This personal exploration marked a shift away from his commercial practice. To this day, Groebli continues to work tirelessly on his image archive, which has been compiled over the course of more than 70 years. For decades, his work has been exhibited widely and internationally in shows, museums and fairs and is part of important collections such as the ones of the MoMa (Museum of Modern Art, new York) and the MEP (Maison Européenne de la photographie, Paris). During his commercial career, he had created campaigns for international clients, developed advertising concepts, and produced company brochures – contributing significantly to the evolution of color photography.
Artworks
Articles
Media
Highlights
Recommendations
Collections
Shows
Market position
CV
Artworks by René Groebli
Articles on René Groebli
Media
HET PAROOL
- article about the exhibition THE EYE OF LOVE at Bildhalle Amsterdam by Jan Pieter Ekker
February 2021
Shows
Market position
René Groebli was born on the 9th of October 1927 in Zurich.
1945 he visited the preparation class, from 1946 the photography class of Hans Finsler at the Art School in Zurich. Between 1946 and 1948 he completed the formation as a documentary camera-man at Central Film and Gloria Film in Zurich and finished it with a diploma. As a photo reporter he carried out jobs for the magazine «Die Woche», later for the London agency «Black Star» in Africa and the Middle East.
His first two book publications were «Magie der Schiene» (Rail Magic, 1949), a poetic essay, and the image series «Das Auge der Liebe» (The Eye of Love, 1954, new edition 2014). In the exhibition «The Family of Man» that Edward Steichen had organ-ised for the Museum of Modern Art in New York, René Groebli was represented together with the Swiss photographers Werner Bischof, Robert Frank and Gotthard Schuh. 1954 the Council of Swiss Photographers accepted him together with Robert Frank as members.
After a short period he quit photo journalism and founded in the mid-fifties his own studio for advertising and industrial photogra-phy. Groebli specialised in colour photography and experimented with the Dye Transfer process. In 1957, the American magazine «Color Annual» honoured him as «Master of Color».
After the early 1980s he turned again to his artistic essays in black and white. Towards the end of the 20th and during the first decade of the 21st century he reprocessed his image archive and digitalised the most important photographs of his oeuvre that grew over 60 years.
1945 he visited the preparation class, from 1946 the photography class of Hans Finsler at the Art School in Zurich. Between 1946 and 1948 he completed the formation as a documentary camera-man at Central Film and Gloria Film in Zurich and finished it with a diploma. As a photo reporter he carried out jobs for the magazine «Die Woche», later for the London agency «Black Star» in Africa and the Middle East.
His first two book publications were «Magie der Schiene» (Rail Magic, 1949), a poetic essay, and the image series «Das Auge der Liebe» (The Eye of Love, 1954, new edition 2014). In the exhibition «The Family of Man» that Edward Steichen had organ-ised for the Museum of Modern Art in New York, René Groebli was represented together with the Swiss photographers Werner Bischof, Robert Frank and Gotthard Schuh. 1954 the Council of Swiss Photographers accepted him together with Robert Frank as members.
After a short period he quit photo journalism and founded in the mid-fifties his own studio for advertising and industrial photogra-phy. Groebli specialised in colour photography and experimented with the Dye Transfer process. In 1957, the American magazine «Color Annual» honoured him as «Master of Color».
After the early 1980s he turned again to his artistic essays in black and white. Towards the end of the 20th and during the first decade of the 21st century he reprocessed his image archive and digitalised the most important photographs of his oeuvre that grew over 60 years.
CV
Exhibitions (selection)
2020 - 2024
• “MOTION”, group show, Bildhalle, Amsterdam (NL)
• “Coming to Light”, group show, Bildhalle, Zurich (CH)
• PAN, group show, Bildhalle, Amsterdam (NL)
• “95 Years”, solo exhibition, Bildhalle, Zurich (CH)
• “The Eye of Love”, solo exhibition, Bildhalle, Amsterdam (NL)
• “The Magic Eye”, solo exhibition, Bildhalle, Zurich (CH)
2017
• “Rail Magic”, solo exhibition, Galerie Kornhausforum, Bern (CH)
• “Various”, solo exhibition, Galerie Anzenberger/Fotobuchmesse Wien, (AT)
• “Various”, solo exhibition, Bildhalle, Zurich (CH)
• “Platinum Prints”, solo exhibition, Galerie Johanna Breede, Berlin (DE)
• “Projections”, group exhibition, Nuits de la photographie, La Chaux de Fonds (CH)
2015 - 2016
• “Rail Magic”, solo exhibition, Museum im Bellpark, Kriens (CH)
• “Early Work”, solo exhibition, Bildhalle, Zurich (CH)
• “Early Work 1945-1955”, solo exhibition, Galerie in focus, Köln (DE)
• “Early Work”, solo exhibition, unstmuseum im Marshall, Paderborn (DE)
• “Nudes”, solo exhibition, Galerie Esther Woerdehoff, Paris (FR)
• “Rail Magic” + “The Eye of Love”, personal exhibition, Galerie Esther Woerdehoff, Paris (FR)
2012 - 2014
• “Hidden Places”, solo exhibition, Artpassions, La Galerie, Geneva (CH)
• “Hommage à Groebli”, solo exhibition, Fondation Auer Ory, Hermance (CH)
• “Large Formats / Various”, solo exhibition, Galerie „carry on“, Genf, (CH)
• “The Eye of Love”, solo exhibition, Galerie Pinter & Milch, Berlin (DE)
2009 - 2011
• “Eyes on Paris”, group exhibition, Deichtorhallen, Hamburg (DE)
• “Die Schweiz im Fotobuch”, group exhibition, Fotomuseum Winterthur (CH)
• “Retriospective”, solo exhibition, Galerie Hiltawsky, Berlin (DE)
2002 - 2008
• “Rail Magic”, group exhibition, Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York (US)
• “Rail Magic”, solo exhibition, Robert Koch Gallery, San Francisco (US)
• “Rail Magic”, group exhibition, Maison Robert Doisneau, Gentilly-Paris (FR)
• “Movements”, solo exhibition, Galerie Stasia Hutter, Basel (CH)
• “New York après New York”, group exhibition, Musée de l’Elysée, Lausanne (CH)
• “Nudes”, solo exhibition, Nikon Image House, Küsnacht/Zürich (CH)
• “Rail Magic”, solo exhibition, Fondation Koenig, Zürich (CH)
1955 - 1995
• “Rail Magic”, solo exhibition, La Chapelle des Pénitenciers, La Ciotat (FR)
• “Retrospective”, solo exhibition, Centre de la Photographie, Geneva (CH)
• “The Eye of Love”, «Rail Magic», solo exhibition, Galerie Renée Ziegler, Zürich (CH)
• “Hommage au féminin”, solo exhibition, Galerie Poseidon, Zürich (CH)
• European Museum Collection, group exhibition, Kunsthaus Zürich (CH) + (EU)
• “Babylon, Babylon”, solo exhibition, Galerie Portfolio, Lausanne (CH)
• “Fantasies”, solo exhibition, Images Gallery, New York (US)
• “Dye Transfers”, solo exhibition, Galerie 58, Rapperswil (CH)
• “The Family of Man”, group exhibition, MOMA, New York (US)
Publications
• 2021, “London 1949”, Sturm & Drang Publishers
• 2020, “The Magic Eye”, EDITIONBILDHALLE
• 1954 & 2020, “Das Auge der Liebe” / “The Eye of Love”, Sturm & Drang Publishers
• 2019, “Werkverzeichnis”, Sturm & Drang Publishers
• 2018, “Color Work”, Sturm & Drang Publishers
• 2017, “New York 1978”, Sturm & Drang Publishers
• 2017, “Magie der Schiene”, Sturm & Drang Publishers
• 2016, “Nudes”, Sturm & Drang Publishers
• 2015, “Early Works”, Sturm & Drang Publishers
• 2014, “Beryl Chen”, Sturm & Drang Publishers
2020 - 2024
• “MOTION”, group show, Bildhalle, Amsterdam (NL)
• “Coming to Light”, group show, Bildhalle, Zurich (CH)
• PAN, group show, Bildhalle, Amsterdam (NL)
• “95 Years”, solo exhibition, Bildhalle, Zurich (CH)
• “The Eye of Love”, solo exhibition, Bildhalle, Amsterdam (NL)
• “The Magic Eye”, solo exhibition, Bildhalle, Zurich (CH)
2017
• “Rail Magic”, solo exhibition, Galerie Kornhausforum, Bern (CH)
• “Various”, solo exhibition, Galerie Anzenberger/Fotobuchmesse Wien, (AT)
• “Various”, solo exhibition, Bildhalle, Zurich (CH)
• “Platinum Prints”, solo exhibition, Galerie Johanna Breede, Berlin (DE)
• “Projections”, group exhibition, Nuits de la photographie, La Chaux de Fonds (CH)
2015 - 2016
• “Rail Magic”, solo exhibition, Museum im Bellpark, Kriens (CH)
• “Early Work”, solo exhibition, Bildhalle, Zurich (CH)
• “Early Work 1945-1955”, solo exhibition, Galerie in focus, Köln (DE)
• “Early Work”, solo exhibition, unstmuseum im Marshall, Paderborn (DE)
• “Nudes”, solo exhibition, Galerie Esther Woerdehoff, Paris (FR)
• “Rail Magic” + “The Eye of Love”, personal exhibition, Galerie Esther Woerdehoff, Paris (FR)
2012 - 2014
• “Hidden Places”, solo exhibition, Artpassions, La Galerie, Geneva (CH)
• “Hommage à Groebli”, solo exhibition, Fondation Auer Ory, Hermance (CH)
• “Large Formats / Various”, solo exhibition, Galerie „carry on“, Genf, (CH)
• “The Eye of Love”, solo exhibition, Galerie Pinter & Milch, Berlin (DE)
2009 - 2011
• “Eyes on Paris”, group exhibition, Deichtorhallen, Hamburg (DE)
• “Die Schweiz im Fotobuch”, group exhibition, Fotomuseum Winterthur (CH)
• “Retriospective”, solo exhibition, Galerie Hiltawsky, Berlin (DE)
2002 - 2008
• “Rail Magic”, group exhibition, Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York (US)
• “Rail Magic”, solo exhibition, Robert Koch Gallery, San Francisco (US)
• “Rail Magic”, group exhibition, Maison Robert Doisneau, Gentilly-Paris (FR)
• “Movements”, solo exhibition, Galerie Stasia Hutter, Basel (CH)
• “New York après New York”, group exhibition, Musée de l’Elysée, Lausanne (CH)
• “Nudes”, solo exhibition, Nikon Image House, Küsnacht/Zürich (CH)
• “Rail Magic”, solo exhibition, Fondation Koenig, Zürich (CH)
1955 - 1995
• “Rail Magic”, solo exhibition, La Chapelle des Pénitenciers, La Ciotat (FR)
• “Retrospective”, solo exhibition, Centre de la Photographie, Geneva (CH)
• “The Eye of Love”, «Rail Magic», solo exhibition, Galerie Renée Ziegler, Zürich (CH)
• “Hommage au féminin”, solo exhibition, Galerie Poseidon, Zürich (CH)
• European Museum Collection, group exhibition, Kunsthaus Zürich (CH) + (EU)
• “Babylon, Babylon”, solo exhibition, Galerie Portfolio, Lausanne (CH)
• “Fantasies”, solo exhibition, Images Gallery, New York (US)
• “Dye Transfers”, solo exhibition, Galerie 58, Rapperswil (CH)
• “The Family of Man”, group exhibition, MOMA, New York (US)
Publications
• 2021, “London 1949”, Sturm & Drang Publishers
• 2020, “The Magic Eye”, EDITIONBILDHALLE
• 1954 & 2020, “Das Auge der Liebe” / “The Eye of Love”, Sturm & Drang Publishers
• 2019, “Werkverzeichnis”, Sturm & Drang Publishers
• 2018, “Color Work”, Sturm & Drang Publishers
• 2017, “New York 1978”, Sturm & Drang Publishers
• 2017, “Magie der Schiene”, Sturm & Drang Publishers
• 2016, “Nudes”, Sturm & Drang Publishers
• 2015, “Early Works”, Sturm & Drang Publishers
• 2014, “Beryl Chen”, Sturm & Drang Publishers
Free Magazine Subscription
Articles, interviews, shows & events. Delivered to your mailbox weekly.