artist-Nicolas-Guerin-profile.webp
Photographer • Paris, France

Nicolas Guérin (1970–2023) was a French photographer known for his intimate black and white portraits of leading figures in international cinema. Born in Béthune, France, he studied philosophy and film history at the Sorbonne before teaching himself photography, an unusual background that came to shape the thoughtful and cinematic quality of his work.

For more than two decades, Guérin photographed actors and directors at major film festivals including Cannes, Berlin and Venice, often for the French film magazine *Positif*. His subjects included Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Tilda Swinton, Nicole Kidman, Clint Eastwood, Philip Seymour Hoffman and many others. Rather than focusing on celebrity, he looked for quieter moments, creating portraits that feel personal, composed and psychologically close.

Alongside his work in cinema, Guérin developed a body of fine art photography that included portraiture, nude studies and more personal projects, all connected by a sensitivity to light, gesture and human presence.

Nicolas Guérin sadly passed away in 2023. Today, his daughter Marilou Guérin continues to care for and develop his artistic legacy, working with the archive to ensure that his photographs remain available to new audiences and collectors. The PhotoGallery continues to work closely with Marilou and the Nicolas Guérin estate, presenting authorised limited-edition prints from his archive.

    Curated by The PhotoGallery

    Featured artwork

    A carefully curated selection of artworks chosen by The Photo Gallery to highlight Nicolas Guérin’s most distinctive expressions. Each piece is selected for its visual impact, craftsmanship and ability to stand the test of time.

    Black-and-white portrait of Clint Eastwood by Nicolas Guérin, with a white border.
    Close-up black-and-white portrait of Clint Eastwood by Nicolas Guérin, looking directly at the camera.
    Clint Eastwood portrait by Nicolas Guérin in a black frame above a black chair against a grey wall.
    Nicolas Guérin

    Clint Eastwood

    From 6,900.00 kr
    Black-and-white fine-art photograph of a nude woman curled on a patterned rug, by Nicolas Guérin, with a white border.
    Alina by Nicolas Guérin in a black frame on a grey wall above a carved bench draped with a blanket.
    Black-and-white close-up of a woman resting her face on a patterned rug with one knee bent, by Nicolas Guérin.
    Nicolas Guérin

    Alina

    From 6,900.00 kr
    Black-and-white photograph of a woman raising her arms amid billowing light fabric, by Nicolas Guérin, with a white border.
    Emotions 2 by Nicolas Guérin in a black frame on a grey wall beside a round table with flowers.
    Cropped black-and-white view of a woman with joined hands above her head and light fabric flowing around her, by Nicolas Guérin.
    Nicolas Guérin

    Emotions 2

    From 6,900.00 kr
    Black-and-white portrait of Hayao Miyazaki adjusting a dark bucket hat with both hands, by Nicolas Guérin, with a white border.
    Hayao Miyazaki portrait by Nicolas Guérin in a black frame on a grey wall beside a metal trolley holding an open book.
    Close-up black-and-white portrait of Hayao Miyazaki with glasses and a beard adjusting a bucket hat, by Nicolas Guérin.
    Nicolas Guérin

    Hayao Miyazaki

    From 6,900.00 kr
    Black-and-white portrait of a woman covering her eyes with her hands beneath translucent fabric, by Nicolas Guérin, with a white border.
    Lulu Hidden by Nicolas Guérin in a black frame on a grey wall above concrete benches.
    Close-up black-and-white portrait of a woman with hands covering her eyes and sheer fabric draped over her face, by Nicolas Guérin.
    Nicolas Guérin

    Lulu Hidden

    From 6,900.00 kr
    Black-and-white portrait of Martin Scorsese smiling with both hands raised, by Nicolas Guérin, with a white border.
    Martin Scorsese portrait by Nicolas Guérin in a black frame on a grey wall above a black wooden armchair.
    Close-up black-and-white portrait of Martin Scorsese smiling and gesturing with both hands, by Nicolas Guérin.
    Nicolas Guérin

    Martin Scorsese

    From 6,900.00 kr
    Black-and-white portrait of Meryl Streep looking sideways with a hand against her chest, by Nicolas Guérin, with a white border.
    Meryl Streep 2 by Nicolas Guérin in a black frame on a grey wall above concrete benches.
    Close-up black-and-white portrait of Meryl Streep in a dark coat with her hand at her collar, by Nicolas Guérin.
    Nicolas Guérin

    Meryl Streep 2

    From 6,900.00 kr
    Black-and-white fine-art photograph of two nude women with interlaced arms beneath a dark veil, by Nicolas Guérin, with a white border.
    Under the Veil by Nicolas Guérin in a black frame on a grey wall above a blue upholstered armchair.
    Cropped black-and-white fine-art photograph of two nude women with crossed arms and a dark veil covering their faces, by Nicolas Guérin.
    Nicolas Guérin

    Under the Veil

    From 6,900.00 kr

    Discover the world of Nicolas Guérin

    At a film festival a photographer gets four minutes, sometimes eight, with someone who has already given twelve interviews that day. Nicolas Guérin has worked under those conditions for more than two decades as the photographer for the French film magazine POSITIF, in Paris, Cannes, Berlin and Venice. Tilda Swinton, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Meryl Streep, Max von Sydow and Nick Cave are all here.

    He studied philosophy and then film history at the Sorbonne and taught himself photography from books, which he has said were his only teachers. Since opening a studio in Montreuil in 2010 the work has turned more personal, and that side of it is represented here too, in Atacama, Menorca Treats and Emotions.

    44 products
    Black-and-white portrait of a woman covering her eyes with her hands beneath translucent fabric, by Nicolas Guérin, with a white border.
    Lulu Hidden by Nicolas Guérin in a black frame on a grey wall above concrete benches.
    Close-up black-and-white portrait of a woman with hands covering her eyes and sheer fabric draped over her face, by Nicolas Guérin.
    Nicolas Guérin

    Lulu Hidden

    From 6,900.00 kr
    Black-and-white portrait of Willem Dafoe facing the camera in a collared shirt, by Nicolas Guérin, with a white border.
    Willem Dafoe portrait by Nicolas Guérin in a black frame on a grey wall above a black wooden armchair.
    Close-up black-and-white portrait of Willem Dafoe with short swept-up hair looking directly at the camera, by Nicolas Guérin.
    Nicolas Guérin

    Willem Dafoe

    From 6,900.00 kr
    Black-and-white portrait of Woody Allen leaning across a table in glasses and a textured jacket, by Nicolas Guérin, with a white border.
    Woody Allen portrait by Nicolas Guérin in a black frame on a grey wall above a blue upholstered armchair.
    Cropped black-and-white portrait of Woody Allen leaning forward with one hand resting on a dark table, by Nicolas Guérin.
    Nicolas Guérin

    Woody Allen

    From 6,900.00 kr
    Black-and-white portrait of Tommy Lee Jones pointing a finger at his temple, by Nicolas Guérin, with a white border.
    Tommy Lee Jones portrait by Nicolas Guérin in a black frame on a grey wall above a blue upholstered armchair.
    Close-up black-and-white portrait of Tommy Lee Jones with a moustache, small goatee and finger at his temple, by Nicolas Guérin.
    Nicolas Guérin

    Tommy Lee Jones

    From 6,900.00 kr
    Black-and-white portrait of Tim Burton in a dark coat holding a bird against his chest, by Nicolas Guérin, with a white border.
    Tim Burton portrait by Nicolas Guérin in a black frame on a grey wall above a black table with a sculptural candleholder.
    Close-up black-and-white portrait of Tim Burton with eyes closed holding a dark bird against his chest, by Nicolas Guérin.
    Nicolas Guérin

    Tim Burton

    From 6,900.00 kr
    Black-and-white portrait of Tilda Swinton holding one hand upright over half her face, by Nicolas Guérin, with a white border.
    Tilda Swinton portrait by Nicolas Guérin in a black frame on a grey wall above a black wooden armchair.
    Close-up black-and-white portrait of Tilda Swinton with short light hair and an upright hand covering one eye, by Nicolas Guérin.
    Nicolas Guérin

    Tilda Swinton

    From 6,900.00 kr
    Black-and-white portrait of Quentin Tarantino holding both hands beside a top hat, by Nicolas Guérin, with a white border.
    Quentin Tarantino portrait by Nicolas Guérin in a black frame on a grey wall above a black wooden armchair.
    Close-up black-and-white portrait of Quentin Tarantino facing the camera beneath a top hat with raised hands, by Nicolas Guérin.
    Nicolas Guérin

    Quentin Tarantino

    From 6,900.00 kr
    Black-and-white portrait of Philip Seymour Hoffman with closed eyes and a beard, by Nicolas Guérin, with a white border.
    Philip Seymour Hoffman portrait by Nicolas Guérin in a black frame on a grey wall above two black chairs with woven seats.
    Close-up black-and-white portrait of Philip Seymour Hoffman with his eyes closed and head slightly lowered, by Nicolas Guérin.
    Nicolas Guérin

    Philip Seymour Hoffman

    From 6,900.00 kr
    Black-and-white portrait of a woman wearing a wide-brimmed hat with a round opening framing one eye, by Nicolas Guérin, with a white border.
    Paula’s Hat by Nicolas Guérin in a black frame on a grey wall above two black chairs with woven seats.
    Close-up black-and-white portrait of a woman looking through a circular eyelet in a broad dark hat, by Nicolas Guérin.
    Nicolas Guérin

    Paula's Hat

    From 6,900.00 kr
    Black-and-white layered portrait of a woman beneath patterned fabric with overlapping hands, by Nicolas Guérin, with a white border.
    Anastasia by Nicolas Guérin in a black frame on a grey wall above a low table with a dark sculpture.
    Close-up black-and-white portrait combining a woman’s face, overlapping hands and patterned translucent fabric, by Nicolas Guérin.
    Nicolas Guérin

    Anastasia

    From 6,900.00 kr
    Black-and-white fine-art photograph of a reclining figure raising both arms amid steam in a rocky landscape, by Nicolas Guérin, with a white border.
    Atacama by Nicolas Guérin in a black frame on a grey wall above a low table with a dark sculpture.
    Black-and-white detail of a reclining figure with raised hands and long shadows amid rising steam, by Nicolas Guérin.
    Nicolas Guérin

    Atacama

    From 6,900.00 kr
    Black-and-white fine-art photograph of a figure balancing on one leg beneath billowing patterned fabric in a rocky landscape, by Nicolas Guérin, with a white border.
    Atacama 8 by Nicolas Guérin in a black frame on a grey wall above a low table with a dark sculpture.
    Black-and-white cropped view of a figure holding patterned fabric overhead between rocky slopes, by Nicolas Guérin.
    Nicolas Guérin

    Atacama 8

    From 6,900.00 kr