In 2023, Honfleur, a coastal town in Normandy known as the birthplace of Impressionist painting, hosted an open-air exhibition of Réhahn’s Fine Art photographs along the Jardin des Personnalités, from April to December.
“Réhahn, the Impressionist Photographer” — a title given by the press
The French newspaper Honfleur Infos described the artist as “le photographe impressionniste” in the headline of their article. The term reflects a visual style where atmosphere, light, and emotion take priority over documentation. It draws a natural link with the painters who once worked in Honfleur.
The exhibition brought together 40 large-format works (80×120 cm), selected from several of the artist’s major series: portraits, everyday life scenes, photographs from the Precious Heritage project, and new pieces from the Memories of Impressionism series. The works were displayed in the open air, along the town’s waterfront in one of its most symbolic cultural spaces.
The project was created in partnership with the City of Honfleur, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and France.
According to Honfleur Infos, the exhibition was inaugurated by the Ambassador of Vietnam in France, Dinh Toan Thang, and the Mayor of Honfleur, Michel Lamarre. It offered a quiet tribute to Vietnam, seen through the eyes of an artist who has lived there for more than a decade.
An Exhibition Bridging Two Cultures
The decision to install the photographs outdoors was a way of connecting with the local art history. The light and reflections of Honfleur have inspired painters for generations. The goal was to create a natural dialogue with that tradition, using photography.
Mayor Michel Lamarre expressed it clearly in his public statement:
“His photographs recall the paintings of the Impressionists, so it was only natural to hang them between sky and sea, on the fence of the Jardin des Personnalités, along the western jetty that so inspired the Impressionist painters and their successors.”
Visitors were invited to follow the same route once taken by Claude Monet and Eugène Boudin, discovering a new visual interpretation of light and memory. The exhibition remained free and accessible until the end of the year.
Further coverage is available in this article. (French)
You can also visit the Precious Heritage Museum in Vietnam, or read the book Impressionism: From Photography to Painting, which reflects on the dialogue between photography and painting through light, memory, and time.
