René Groebli
PHOTOSNACK #865
René Groebli passed away on May 5, 2026, leaving behind one of the most poetic and quietly adventurous bodies of work in Swiss photography.
His images move between tenderness, experiment, observation, and atmosphere, and I strongly recommend spending time with his work, especially if you care about photography that feels both deeply human and visually alive.
Until next time,
Tomasz
Amazing work, new to me. Thank you for the introduction.
I have had a special fascination with René Groebli's work since I first saw it in the 1960s. He was one of the most innovative and imaginative photographers of the 20th century, whether in Black and White or colour, and active till near the very end. I was fortunate to visit the exhibition of his work this past February at the Bildhalle, when I was in Zurich to deliver my workshop on film digitizing at PhotoSCHWEIZ. It was a pleasure to see the original prints, and of course at the Bildhalle they had an ample selection of his books for sale. "The Magic Eye" is particularly representative of his work and very well-made. Unfortunately, I could not be there for the reception they were holding in his honour the week after - he was 98 years old and there in person. He was one of those great masters of 20th century photography who left an indelible mark on the history of creativity in the medium.