Light and Time: The Enduring Craft of Paolo Roversi

Through a curated selection of portraits created between 1980 and today, the new monograph ‘Paolo Roversi’ celebrates a vision defined by soft daylight, long exposures and an unwavering dedication to photographic craft.

Molly, Chanel, Vogue Italia, Paris, 2015 – Paolo Roversi

Born in Ravenna, Paolo Roversi relocated to Paris in 1973, and by 1977 his first fashion photographs were published, launching a career that balanced prestige and detachment from passing trends. His work was honoured with an exhibition at Palais Galliera in spring 2024, paving the way for this definitive monograph, realised in collaboration with Sylvie Lécallier, which selects the images that best embody five decades of exploration rather than presenting a strict chronology.

Drawing inspiration from Nadar and August Sander, Roversi favours lengthy exposures and the soft, north–facing daylight of his studio windows, occasionally enhanced by handheld torches. These techniques lend his work a painterly depth, blurring boundaries between still photography and fine art.

Since establishing Studio Luce in Paris’s 14ᵉ arrondissement in 1981, he has created a sanctuary where each subject becomes the sole focus of his lens. Model Kirsten Owen recalls unhurried lunches with wine and late sessions listening to Leonard Cohen’s ‘Tower of Song’, moments that highlight the meditative pace at which he works.

Landmark partnerships with Yohji Yamamoto, Comme des Garçons, Romeo Gigli, Rei Kawakubo and Dior have provided Roversi with creative challenges, enabling him to continually refresh his practice. Operating his large-format 8 × 10 camera, he transforms every frame into an opportunity to dream, imagine and feel.