From January 21 to May 18, 2025, Palazzo Reale in Milan will present George Hoyningen-Huene: Glamour and Avant-Garde, an exhibition curated by Susanna Brown showcasing the iconic works of one of fashion photography’s pioneers. The exhibition, featuring over 110 photographs and archival materials from the George Hoyningen-Huene Archives—founded by philanthropists Tommy and Åsa Rönngren—celebrates the artist’s lasting impact on the visual arts of the 20th century and beyond.
Born in Saint Petersburg in 1900 to an American mother and an Estonian baron, George Hoyningen-Huene led a cosmopolitan youth shaped by constant movement between London and Paris, where he became immersed in the major artistic circles of the time. These connections, coupled with his refined education, fostered a curiosity and sophistication that would become the foundation of his aesthetic. Hoyningen-Huene was not only a master of light and composition but introduced an extraordinarily modern perspective to fashion photography, blending classical aesthetics with avant-garde influences.
Collaborating with magazines such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Vanity Fair, he helped transform fashion photography into a true art form, merging his passion for Greek sculpture and Renaissance painting with surrealist themes. His friendships with figures like Man Ray, Coco Chanel, and Jean Cocteau, along with his involvement in the Parisian avant-garde and surrealist circles, including Salvador Dalì and Lee Miller, influenced his style deeply. The vibrant cultural atmosphere of Montparnasse infused his work with a dreamlike quality that set it apart from conventional photography of the time.
In a world where conservatism and intolerance toward diversity often resurface, Hoyningen-Huene’s work resonates powerfully and remains essential today. His art explored fluid identities and challenged gender norms, often showcasing an androgynous elegance that was revolutionary for its time. Inspired by his personal experiences and his LGBTQ+ circle, including collaborator and lover Horst P. Horst, Hoyningen-Huene embodied a progressive vision that feels remarkably relevant today. Through portraits that celebrate non-conforming identities and diverse forms of beauty, his images remind us of art’s power to transcend cultural boundaries and broaden our understanding of identity and beauty.
This open-mindedness was further enriched by his passion for travel and exploration. His journeys to Africa, the Mediterranean, and other regions inspired works like African Mirage, Hellas, and Egypt, in which he documented the cultural and artistic expressions of the communities he encountered with a sense of wonder and respect, while still interpreting them through a Western aesthetic lens. These experiences lent his photography a broader cultural perspective and depth.
The works on display at Palazzo Reale come from the George Hoyningen-Huene Archives, acquired and relocated to Stockholm in 2020 by collectors Tommy and Åsa Rönngren, and include platinum prints that highlight his elegant, understated style. Thanks to curator Susanna Brown, the Milanese public has a rare opportunity to explore Hoyningen-Huene’s complex and timeless world and his influence on modern aesthetics.
George Hoyningen-Huene: Glamour and Avant-Garde is not just a tribute to his legacy but an invitation to discover the intellectual depth and authentic beauty of his work—a testament to his ability to recognize the elegance of diversity and his lasting impact on the visual arts.
“George Hoyningen-Huene: Glamour and Avant-Garde”
January 21 - May 18, 2025
Palazzo Reale
P.za del Duomo, 12, 20122
Tuesday - Sunday 10 AM - 7.30 PM, Thursday 10 AM - 10.30 PM, Monday closed
From February 26 to June 22, 2025, Palazzo Reale also hosts “Io sono Leonor Fini” curated by Tere Arcq e Carlos Martín. The exhibition celebrates Leonor Fini (Buenos Aires, 1907 - Paris, 1996), an eclectic artist who challenged gender constructs and society grounded on the fixed values of femininity, masculinity, and family. Fini shaped the cultural scene with her paintings of powerful women, sphinxes, cat women, and obscure men, creating an oniric, surreal world.
With 70 paintings among the nearly 100 works exhibited, “Io sono Leonor Fini” reveals the artist s artistic journey, the influences and inspirations, like Trieste, city of intellectuals like James Joyce, Rainer Maria Rilke and Italo Svevo, but also Piero della Francesca, Michelangelo and the Surrealism of Max Ernst, Salvador Dalí, Man Ray, Jean Cocteau, Georges Bataille, and Freud s writings. Moving between Surrealism and Classicism, Fini challenges the art world populated by men prevalently, moving smoothly among different arts, from theatre to cinema, fashion, and literature.
“Io sono Leonor Fini”
February 26 - June 22 2025
Tuesday - Sunday 10 AM - 7.30 PM, Thursday 10 AM - 10.30 PM, Monday closed
Palazzo Reale
P.za del Duomo, 12, 20122
