Photographer Mayotte Magnus was born into a French family in Algiers, Algeria, in 1934. Brought up in Paris, France, she received a classical education in the arts, before immigrating to Cambridge England in 1959 with er first husband, and switching to photography in the 1970s, as a more immediate medium. Specialising in portrait photography, along with her second husband, Polish-born, Jorge Lewinski, Magnus became a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society in 1973. In 1977, the National Portrait Gallery, London commissioned her to photograph 100 eminent British women, the Gallery's first exhibition to exclusively focus on female achievement; more than 40 years later, the same institution mounted a retrospective exhibition of Magnus’ work (2018).
Photographer Mayotte Magnus was born into a French family in Algiers, Algeria, in 1934. Brought up in Paris, France, she received a classical education in the arts, focusing on dance, choreography, music, and painting. She began studying ballet at the age of 15 and, by the age of 19, had shifted her focus to painting, particularly portraiture. In 1959, at around 25, she married English businessman George Magnus and immigrated to Cambridge, England. The couple had a daughter, Elodie, born in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1964. Mayotte and George divorced in 1974, but she retained his surname. In the late 1970s or early 1980s, Magnus met Polish-born British photographer Jorge Lewinski (1921–2008), who became a formative influence on her own photographic career and her second husband.
Drawn to photography as a new creative medium, Magnus sought a career in this field, following her experiences in dance, music, and painting. Significantly, In 1971, she met Bruce Pinkart, an Australian-born advertising photographer based in London, who played a pivotal role in launching her photography career, despite her lack of formal training in the discipline. Magnus initially concentrated on taking photographs of her daughter and their immediate surroundings, but despite these informal beginnings, she quickly established herself as a reputable photographer and, by 1971, Magnus had won two prizes in the Ilford International photographic competition. In 1973, she became a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society. The following year, she had a solo show at Fnac in Paris. By 1974, Magnus had divorced George, but retained his surname as she was already established in the photography world under that name. After meeting Jorge Lewinski - who became her second husband and whose work she had admired prior to their acquaintance - they embarked on a productive photographic collaboration alongside their romantic partnership. In 1977, the National Portrait Gallery, London commissioned her to photograph 100 eminent British women, a selection based on their contributions to community rather than public recognition. This exhibition, showcasing women such as actor, Judi Dench, and writer, Iris Murdoch, was the Gallery's first to exclusively focus on female achievement. It ran for two months, drawing over 30,000 visitors, and was later displayed in the Houses of Parliament during the 50th anniversary of Women’s enfranchisement, under the patronage of the Prime Minister. The exhibition's success led to it touring across the British Isles until 1982, garnering extensive media coverage. Magnus also worked on a collaborative project with Lewinski and the American photographer Yusuf Karsh and then exhibited with them in San Francisco, USA. In 1981, at London's Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) Magnus joined four other women artists to present Women Images of Men, an exhibition exploring men from a female perspective.
Magnus initially favoured photography over painting for its immediacy, which allowed her to capture varied expressions during sessions. Her practice is characterised by illumination and the interplay of light, shadow, and abstract shapes. She prefers black and while analogue photography over other alternatives. Beyond surface aesthetics, her portraits reveal deep personal qualities, embodying an affecting humanity. Magnus concentrates on capturing the essence of a person and their life story, preferring settings that narrate their personal journey rather than close-ups. For Magnus, photography has enabled intense, brief interactions, creating a genuine intimacy which she has found to be essential and which has often led to lasting friendships. Her fascination with people's destinies and her love of reading biographies has driven her passion for portraiture and her desire to connect with her subjects. This connection, coupled with her aim to focus on the beauty of the sitter, has generated photographs with a warmth and depth. Magnus' sitters include artists, writers, public figures, different professionals, and private individuals.
Beyond portrait photography, Magnus has travelled and worked internationally, contributing to magazines in France, England, Canada, and the USA, including Harpers and Queens in London and Point de Vue Images in Paris. In addition to her magazine work, she has contributed photographs for several books, often in collaboration with Leewinski. Together with him, Magnus established the Lewinski Photography Course at their spacious residence in South London. From 1983 to 1997, they taught jointly, covering various photographic techniques. During the 1980s and 1990s the couple provided images for several England-focussed publications including, with John Julius Norwich, The Architecture of Southern England (1985), and The Monument Guide to England and Wales: a National Portrait in Bronze and Stone (1991). Since 1998, Magnus has dedicated herself to the restoration of a historic building in France, the ancient Palais des Evêques de Comminges, in the village of Alan near Toulouse. Jorge Lewinski died in January 2008 in London, England. In 2018, the National Portrait Gallery mounted a retrospective exhibition of Magnus’ work titled lluminating women: Photographs by Mayotte Magnus. As of 2021, Mayotte Magnus splits her time between Alan, France and London, England. In the UK public domain, her work is held at the National Portrait Gallery, while documents relating to her photographic career are held in the Lewinski Archive at Chatsworth, Derbyshire.
Consult items in the Ben Uri archive related to [Mayotte Magnus]
Publications related to [Mayotte Magnus] in the Ben Uri Library