For more than thirty years, the general inspector for photography at the Ministry of Culture and (at the time) communication reigned over the photo policy of the rue de Valois, until her retirement in April 2010. Nothing predisposed the Danish student and in dance history, born in Paris in 1945, to play this role. The meeting with Lucien Clergue in a Parisian bookstore, where she worked during the holidays, oriented her towards an area which was then limited to her knowledge of English photography in the 19th century, which she had studied at the Sorbonne and Cambridge. The photographer offers him to work voluntarily at the festival he goes up in Arles.
Agnès de Gouvion Saint-Cyr will work at the Arles Meetings until the Ministry of Culture commands him a report on the publishing in photography, before attaching it to her services in 1976, where she developed a policy of supporting photography. In 1989, she also became curator of contemporary photography collections at the National Contemporary Art Fund.
“It was the ministerial reference for more than three decades, funding, labeing, supporting projects, books and exhibitions in France and in the world”recalls Françoise Denoyelle, historian of photography. This position will earn him the nickname of “Pope of photography” And to be fear but also criticized.
“She has helped an incredible number of people and our world owes her enormously. Personally, she has always supported and encouraged me ”recalled Jean-François Leroy, founder and director of Visa for the image, on Instagram, shortly after the announcement of the death of Agnès de Gouvion Saint-Cyr in Orange, Saturday March 15, at the age of 80.
Agnès de Gouvion Saint-Cyr has also published numerous monographs and organized multiple exhibitions in France and abroad, notably in Brassaï, of which she was the testamentary executor.
