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Gérard Uféras Photography

French, b. 1954

Through his camera lens, photographer Gérard Uféras offers a rarified backstage pass to the world’s top operas, ballets and fashion shows. Described as a storyteller and magician, Uféras shoots contemporary, figurative photographs that evoke sensuality, mystery, elegance and grace, with a rich sense of humanism. 

Born in Paris, in 1954, Uféras was introduced to photography at the tender age of eight, when he began using his father’s cameras. At 11 years old, he was a regular visitor to Paris’s museums, soaking in all aspects of the arts, culture and history. 

Although Uféras’s passion for photography began at an early age, it wasn’t until he was 28 — when he was working in a retail shop selling jeans — that he decided to pursue it as a professional career. “I simply didn’t know what I was doing with my life,” he has said. “For a few years at that point, I had a job that didn’t bring me any joy. . . . I realized that if I don’t do something to change my life, I will die working in that shop, so it was really a ‘matter of life’ decision.”

Despite being largely self-taught, Uféras’s natural photographic talent soon caught the eyes of French newspaper editors. He began his career as a photojournalist in 1984, working for the daily Libération, and in 1986, he became a founding member of the VU photo agency. Then, in 1988, Uféras’s watershed moment came when he was invited backstage to photograph at The Palais Garnier. Since then, he has captured stunning portraits and still-lifes at opera houses and ballet performances across Europe.

Similarly, Uféras has been given carte-blanche access to major fashion houses such as Givenchy and Dior, resulting in beautifully shot, candid photographs of unposed models. 

Throughout his career, Uféras’s black-and-white and color photographs have been featured in numerous international publications, including Le Monde, the New York Times, Beaux Arts magazine, Paris Match and L’Express. His works are in the collections in several major museums, such as The National Gallery in London, the Musée de l’Elysée (Photo Elysée) in Lausanne, the Multimedia Art Museum in Moscow and the Maison Européenne de la Photographie and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris. 

On 1stDibs, find a range of Gérard Uféras photography.

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Artist: Gérard Uféras
Dancers at Bolshoi, Theatre Moscow - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography
Dancers at Bolshoi, Theatre Moscow - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

Dancers at Bolshoi, Theatre Moscow - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

Renowned French photographer Gérard Uféras is celebrated for his ability to capture the quiet, in-between moments that often go unnoticed. In this refined composition, he turns his l...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Gérard Uféras Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

La Scala, Ballarina leaving the stage - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

La Scala, Ballarina leaving the stage - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

Gérard Uféras is a renowned French photographer celebrated for his emotive and intimate documentary style, particularly in the world of performing arts. His exhibition "Lo sguardo na...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Gérard Uféras Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Piano Legs, Scala - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography
Piano Legs, Scala - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

Piano Legs, Scala - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

Beneath the imposing structure of a grand piano, a quiet moment of repose unfolds - captured with striking precision by Gérard Uféras in “Piano Legs, Teatro alla Scala Ballet Company...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Gérard Uféras Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Gran Teatre del Fenice, Venise - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography
Gran Teatre del Fenice, Venise - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

Gran Teatre del Fenice, Venise - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

Atmospheric and richly cinematic, this captivating black-and-white photograph by Gérard Uféras offers a rare perspective inside the legendary Gran Teatro La Fenice in Venice during a...

Category

1990s Contemporary Gérard Uféras Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, Bruxelles - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography
Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, Bruxelles - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, Bruxelles - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

This artwork by Gérard Uféras draws us into the charged stillness just before the music unfolds. Seen from behind, a double bassist stands at the edge of the orchestra pit, his silho...

Category

1990s Contemporary Gérard Uféras Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Batman and Policeman - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

Batman and Policeman - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

This iconic artwork by Gérard Uféras is a vibrant and unexpected tableau where reality and fiction collide under the Mediterranean sun. Captured in crisp black and white, the photogr...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Gérard Uféras Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Michel Sénéchal, Grand Théâtre de Genève - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography
Michel Sénéchal, Grand Théâtre de Genève - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

Michel Sénéchal, Grand Théâtre de Genève - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

Expressive, theatrical, and rich with narrative detail, this striking black-and-white photograph by Gérard Uféras, captured in 1990, offers a rare and intimate glimpse into the backs...

Category

1990s Contemporary Gérard Uféras Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Monsieur Laforge, maître de choeurs - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography
Monsieur Laforge, maître de choeurs - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

Monsieur Laforge, maître de choeurs - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

A fleeting gesture, suspended between instruction and emotion, defines this remarkable photograph by Gérard Uféras, captured in 1990 at the Grand Théâtre de Genève. Rather than docum...

Category

1990s Contemporary Gérard Uféras Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Gran Teatre del Fenice III, Venise - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography
Gran Teatre del Fenice III, Venise - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

Gran Teatre del Fenice III, Venise - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

Minimalist, evocative, and rich in narrative tension, this refined black-and-white photograph by Gérard Uféras captures a poetic still life backstage at the Gran Teatro La Fenice in ...

Category

1990s Contemporary Gérard Uféras Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Gianfranco Ferré Prêt-à-Porter, Milan Backstage, Fashion Fine Art Photography
Gianfranco Ferré Prêt-à-Porter, Milan Backstage, Fashion Fine Art Photography

Gianfranco Ferré Prêt-à-Porter, Milan Backstage, Fashion Fine Art Photography

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

“Gianfranco Ferré Prêt-à-Porter, Milan” by Gérard Uféras is a striking black-and-white backstage photograph that captures the intimate tension and sculptural elegance of a haute cout...

Category

1990s Contemporary Gérard Uféras Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Théâtre royal de la Monnaie, Bruxelles 1991, Limited Edition Fine Art Photograph
Théâtre royal de la Monnaie, Bruxelles 1991, Limited Edition Fine Art Photograph

Théâtre royal de la Monnaie, Bruxelles 1991, Limited Edition Fine Art Photograph

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

Gérard Uféras’ “Théâtre royal de la Monnaie, Bruxelles, Belgique, 1991, Un Fantôme à L’Opéra” is a poetic work of limited edition fine art photography that captures the quiet precisi...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Gérard Uféras Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Lily Cole backstage at Christian Lacroix Fall 2007, Limited Edition Fine Art
Lily Cole backstage at Christian Lacroix Fall 2007, Limited Edition Fine Art

Lily Cole backstage at Christian Lacroix Fall 2007, Limited Edition Fine Art

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

Gérard Uféras’ “Lily Cole Backstage at Christian Lacroix Fall 2007 Haute Couture” is an extraordinary work of limited edition fine art photography that captures the dreamlike theatri...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Gérard Uféras Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Une robe d'Arman - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography
Une robe d'Arman - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

Une robe d'Arman - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

“Une robe d’Arman pour L’Heure espagnole de Ravel" is a artwork shot in the Opéra Comique in Paris, France, 1990 by Gérard Uféras. It is a striking meditation on touch, presence, an...

Category

1990s Contemporary Gérard Uféras Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Thierry Mugler, Haute Couture - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography
Thierry Mugler, Haute Couture - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

Thierry Mugler, Haute Couture - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

This photograph by Gérard Uféras is a study in precision, tension, and sculptural beauty. Cropped tightly to the model’s torso and hands, the composition strips away all distraction,...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Gérard Uféras Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Gran Teatre del Fenice I, Venise - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography
Gran Teatre del Fenice I, Venise - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

Gran Teatre del Fenice I, Venise - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

Quiet, introspective, and profoundly atmospheric, this evocative black-and-white photograph by Gérard Uféras captures a rare and intimate backstage moment at the Gran Teatro La Fenic...

Category

1990s Contemporary Gérard Uféras Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Gran Teatre del Liceu I, Barcelone - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography
Gran Teatre del Liceu I, Barcelone - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

Gran Teatre del Liceu I, Barcelone - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

Dynamic, expressive, and rich in atmosphere, this compelling black-and-white photograph by Gérard Uféras captures a vivid backstage moment at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona i...

Category

1990s Contemporary Gérard Uféras Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Dior Haute Couture IV - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

Dior Haute Couture IV - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

“Dior Haute Couture IV” by Gérard Uféras is a refined black-and-white photograph that centers on detail, texture, and the material presence of haute couture. Created at Dior’s histor...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Gérard Uféras Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

A Day in the Museum XXXIII, Grand Palais - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

A Day in the Museum XXXIII, Grand Palais - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

A day in the museum is about more than some of the most famous and fascinating pieces of art. In this series French photographer Gérard Uféras examines the practice of going to the m...

Category

2010s Contemporary Gérard Uféras Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Bolshoi Corps de Ballet - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

Bolshoi Corps de Ballet - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

Delicate, elegant, and yet bursting of life and colour. Gérard Uféras offers an intimate and unique insight into the world of ballet. The ruffling of dresses backstage, a perfect pos...

Category

2010s Contemporary Gérard Uféras Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Christian Dior Prêt à Porter automne/hiver 2000/2001 - Fine Art Photography
Christian Dior Prêt à Porter automne/hiver 2000/2001 - Fine Art Photography

Christian Dior Prêt à Porter automne/hiver 2000/2001 - Fine Art Photography

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

Closeup of a Model in a Dior Skirt, Fur Jacket and Boots and Rings spelling DIOR, photographed by Gérard Uféras at the Autumn/Winter Show in Paris, 2000-2001. All prints are limited...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Gérard Uféras Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

L'ange du Saint Francois, Salzburger Festspiele - Limited Edition Fine Art
L'ange du Saint Francois, Salzburger Festspiele - Limited Edition Fine Art

L'ange du Saint Francois, Salzburger Festspiele - Limited Edition Fine Art

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

This black-and-white photograph by Gérard Uféras, created during the Salzburger Festspiele in Salzburg, Austria, captures a quiet backstage moment shaped by atmosphere, structure, an...

Category

1990s Contemporary Gérard Uféras Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Salzburger Festspiele #1 - Austria - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography
Salzburger Festspiele #1 - Austria - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

Salzburger Festspiele #1 - Austria - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

This photograph by Gérard Uféras, created in 1996 in Salzburg, Austria, captures a moment defined by atmosphere, composition, and a strong sense of place. Known for his refined appro...

Category

1990s Gérard Uféras Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Salzburger Festspiele #1, Salzburg, Austria

Salzburger Festspiele #1, Salzburg, Austria

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

Gerard Uferas' photographs have appeared in numerous publications, including "Liberation", "Time Magazine", "The New York Times", "Le Monde", and "Marie ...

Category

1990s Gérard Uféras Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

L´ange du Saint Francois, Salzburger Festspiele, Fine Art Photography
L´ange du Saint Francois, Salzburger Festspiele, Fine Art Photography

L´ange du Saint Francois, Salzburger Festspiele, Fine Art Photography

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

L´ange du Saint Francois d´assise de Messiaen, Salzburger Festspiele, Autrice, 1992 by Gérad Uféras. All prints are limited edition. Available in multiple sizes. High-end framing on request. All prints are done and signed by the artist. Daring women, teint de porcelaine, and delicate tracings in silver; the French star photographer Gérard Uféras creates masterpieces radiant with a certain je ne sais quoi. Moving the noise of everyday life into the background for a moment, his works are aesthetic oases for the senses. Curving down an exposed back, delineating delicate lines, or an ephemeral smile: Uféras is the connoisseur of fashion and ballet photography. His works are an homage to female elegance, playfulness, and jest. Gerard Uferas...

Category

1990s Contemporary Gérard Uféras Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Christian Dior Prêt à Porter automne/hiver 2000/2001 - Fine Art Photography
Christian Dior Prêt à Porter automne/hiver 2000/2001 - Fine Art Photography

Christian Dior Prêt à Porter automne/hiver 2000/2001 - Fine Art Photography

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

Closeup of a Model in a Dior Skirt, Fur Jacket and Boots and Rings spelling DIOR, photographed by Gérard Uféras at the Autumn/Winter Show in Paris, 2000-2001. All prints are limited ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Gérard Uféras Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Gianfranco Ferré Prêt-à-Porter, Milan Backstage, Fashion Fine Art Photography
Gianfranco Ferré Prêt-à-Porter, Milan Backstage, Fashion Fine Art Photography

Gianfranco Ferré Prêt-à-Porter, Milan Backstage, Fashion Fine Art Photography

By Gérard Uféras

Located in Vienna, AT

“Gianfranco Ferré Prêt-à-Porter, Milan” by Gérard Uféras is a striking black-and-white backstage photograph that captures the intimate tension and sculptural elegance of a haute cout...

Category

1990s Contemporary Gérard Uféras Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Gérard Uféras photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Gérard Uféras photography available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Gérard Uféras in archival pigment print, pigment print, silver gelatin print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Gérard Uféras photography, so small editions measuring 20 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Anouk Krantz, Jean-Claude Byandb, and Christophe Jacrot. Gérard Uféras photography prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $4,500 and tops out at $4,500, while the average work can sell for $4,500.