The "Golden Years" exhibition at Foam Amsterdam traces Paul Huf's influence on the world of advertising, fashion and portrait photography.

The Amsterdam-based cultural institution dedicated to photography celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of Paul Huf (1924-2002). The retrospective, entitled "Golden Years", offers an overview of the work of this self-taught artist, who rose to fame in the 1950s. Over a hundred works are on display at Foam, highlighting his innovative use of color, theatrical aesthetic, playful compositions, taste for contact and approach to atmosphere. 

He also played a key role in the creation of this museum in Amsterdam in 2001, and in the professionalization of commission photography in the Netherlands. Paul Huf always knew how to add value to his work and was quick to sell his prints at a premium, himself setting a new standard for this profession to be properly remunerated. " Photography was the most important thing to him," says curator Claartje van Dijk. 

Ingenious and pioneering

This Amsterdam native began photography as a teenager. He was nurtured by the photographic hobby of his father, a famous actor in the Netherlands, and the sense of style of his mother, head buyer in a high-end Amsterdam store. By experimenting with the medium in his own darkroom, he learned to master developing and printing techniques. 

Since then, he has collaborated with major magazines, imagined iconic campaigns and designed album covers for record companies. Most notably, in 1954, he created covers for a Philips classical music collection, starring British model Ann Pickford. " She appeared on all the covers, as there were few professional models in the Netherlands at the time," explains the curator. 

Paul Huf is also known for immortalizing the Dutch royal family in 1952. He became the first official court photographer, paving the way for successors such as Anton Corbijn and Rineke Dijkstra. 

From richness to eclecticism

In this body of work, Foam also presents photographs from the "Craftsmanship is Mastery" campaign on craftsmanship for the Grolsch brewery, fashion shoots for publications such as Margriet and Avenue, portraits of Ajax soccer legends (Klaas Nuninga, Sjaak Swart, Piet Keizer, Johan Cruijff) and music stars (The Supremes).

The exhibition also highlights his artistic versatility behind the camera, with a 1975 documentary on Dutch painter Carel Willink, a leading exponent of magic realism. 

Ahead of his time, Paul Huf bequeathed us a rich heritage built on innovation, imagination and mastery of his art, which continues to inspire new generations of photographers. In 2007, Foam created the Paul Huf Prize in his honor, which is awarded annually to emerging talent worldwide.

Until February 2, 2025 

foam.org