Jean Marquis, chronicler of everyday life: a free photo exhibition at the Roger Viollet Gallery

Jean Marquis was a stage actor and host of dramatic arts. In the early 1950s, he struck up a conversation with his wife’s cousin, Robert Capa. The renowned photographer urged him to try his hand at photography. And so Marquis launched a prolific career behind the camera, finding passion both in the defining events of the 20th century and in the small, everyday moments.

From October 8, 2026 to January 23, 2027, Jean Marquis is at the heart of a photography exhibition at the Roger-Viollet Gallery. The exhibition, titled Jean Marquis, the Everyday Chronicler. Photographs 1951-1983, unveils 112 photographs that trace the career and style of this versatile artist.

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Jean Marquis trained as a photographer alongside Pierre Gassmann and went on to work at Magnum with Henri Cartier-Bresson and Werner Bischof. He collaborated with major magazines of the era, such as Life, L'Express, The New York Times, Science et Vie... He travels widely, seeking out the travailleurs : the railway workers in northern France, a baker at his bakery, or dockers at the Port of Liverpool, farmers in the fields, factory workers, the camel drivers at the market in Algeria... Jean Marquis captures instantanés, émotions, and small moments of everyday life.

The artist stands at the very heart of history and a century in the process of changing. There he is, camera in hand, during the May ’68 protests, at the farmers’ general assemblies, in the death-row corridors of the United States, or at demonstrations for peace in Algeria. He is also the man who photographed portraits of André Malraux, Brigitte Bardot, Gina Lollobrigida, Yves Montand, Marguerite Duras...

This exhibition pays tribute to a photographer who was deeply engaged with his era and on the side of workers and the overlooked. A touching universe to discover for free at the gallery in the 6th arrondissement.