Paris, France — Groundbreaking, beautiful, above all totally natural. Brigitte Bardot left us last December 28th but will remain seemingly forever. Part of that natural was captured on film and the photographs of someone so photogenic that there never really seems to be a pose and never a posture. But the ground she broke in espousing total and complete freedom was further crowned by her unwavering and uncompromising battle for animal rights, all animals, a commitment of over half a century and the establishment of her foundation, the Brigitte Bardot Foundation. Despite leaving the film and entertainment industry in 1973, she would remain a major pop culture and cinematic icon. 

The Galerie de l’Instant in the Marais neighhborhood is hosting a major exhibition of photographs of the star and star of animal rights featuring an array of photos from the 1950s and 1960s. There are the film sets, but there are, too, the captured moments in which the natural of Bardot emerges in an instant. La Galerie de l’Instant is one of the finest photo galleries in the French capital with Julia Gragnon at its helm. Her father, a major French photographer, François Gragnon, photographed Brigitte Bardot multiple times for Paris Match in the 1960s. « He talked about it like it was going out with a group of friends and I know they spent more time partying that taking pictures, » commented Julia Gragnon. Many of his photographs feature in the exhibition but also anonymous ones as well, those signed « DR », droits réservés meaning rights reserved.  The exhibition is on until March 29th at 46 Rue de Poitou, 75003 Paris, France. Tel: +33 (0) 1 44 54 94 09. Open Tues-Sun. Check for opening times. https://www.lagaleriedelinstant.com/

©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette