José NICOLAS (1956) - Lot 174

José NICOLAS (1956) Set of 10 photographs Chasse à Courre, Pierrefonds Castle, 1995 Digital prints Signed, dated and titled in the margin Dimensions including margins: 22.2 x 32 cm Note: This series of nine photographs taken by José Nicolas in 1995 is a rare and vivid testimony to the French tradition of hunting with hounds, captured during a day at the Château de Pierrefonds, an emblematic site where the rituals and staging of this age-old practice are still perpetuated today. With his precise documentary eye for detail, José Nicolas captures the solemnity of the preparations, the cohesion of the crews, the importance of the ceremonial and the very special relationship between horsemen, horses and dog teams. The images, sometimes focusing on the participants in uniform - whose expressiveness, dress and attitudes he captures - sometimes on the pack in motion, bear witness to the inherent rhythm of vénerie, the effervescence of the gatherings, and the social and heritage dimensions of this tradition. The photographer succeeds in combining ethnographic observation with an aesthetic sense, alternating ensemble scenes with close-ups that highlight the beauty of the animals, the rigor of the gestures and the atmosphere of a world that is at once codified, spectacular and deeply rooted in French history. Through the rich narrative of this ensemble, José Nicolas offers a coherent visual document, revealing both the majesty of the ceremonial and the behind-the-scenes realities of a practice that continues to arouse debate and fascination.