Jacques Léonard. L'esprit nomade

The Musée Réattu, the first fine arts museum in France to set up a photographic department in 1965, at the initiative of Arles photographer Lucien Clergue and curator Jean-Maurice Rouquette, is exhibiting the work of Jacques Léonard, little known in France, in a selection of over 150 photographs, in partnership with the Fundación Photographic Social Vision. 

The 90 humanist photographs in the catalogue capture city life: streets, markets, festivals, amusement parks, sport, fairs, the harbour and seafront marked by the development of tourism... 

His marriage to Rosario Amaya, a gypsy from the Montjuïc district, opened the doors to his community. Looking at her through the eyes of a family member, his images constitute one of the most important collections on gypsy culture. 

The exhibition will also highlight two exceptional series: Evadés, from 1943, a report on the passage through Spain of Frenchmen fleeing fascism on their way to Africa; and La División Azul, from 1954, which documents the return to Spain of the survivors of the División Azul, 45,000 men sent by Franco to support the Nazi army in its invasion of Russia. 

The authors of the catalogue 
Josep Calvet, Doctor of History at the University of Lerida 
Anne Clergue, daughter of Lucien Clergue, director of the Anne Clergue gallery, Arles 
Maria Planas, Head of Collections at the Fundación Photographic Social Vision 
Daniel Rouvier, Head Curator of Heritage, Director of the Réattu Museum 
Jésús Ulled, journalist, author and publisher