Raymond Cauchetier: “A Hymn to Love”

Godard directed the film. Raymond Cauchetier captured everything happening just beyond the frame.

On 12 October 2026, Aguttes will auction 218 photographs by Nouvelle Vague photographer Raymond Cauchetier. Titled “A Hymn to Love,” the sale represents the final part of Cauchetier’s photographic archive. The auction follows Kaoru Cauchetier’s donation of more than 1,200 vintage prints to the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF). Kaoru, Raymond’s wife, made the donation in February 2026.

“To pay tribute to Raymond, I wanted to make a gesture that seemed essential to me: to donate his works to the BnF in February 2026, so that they could become part of our heritage and continue to bear witness to his vision”, explains Kaoru Cauchetier. “But I also wanted lovers of the Nouvelle Vague to be able to keep a part of this history. That is why I set aside a small selection of vintage prints, as well as a few later prints made for major exhibitions, notably the Salon de la Photo, the tribute marking the 30th anniversary of François Truffaut’s death, and the Rencontres d’Arles.”

Ahead of the auction, Aguttes will present two exhibitions. An advance exhibition will take place at Aguttes Saint-Germain-des-Prés on 3, 5 and 6 October. A public exhibition will follow at Aguttes Neuilly from 8 to 10 October.

Cauchetier’s Imprint on Photography

“Before anyone knew his name, everyone around the world already knew his images,” writes Arthur Perault, Head of Pop Culture & Memorabilia at Aguttes.

Long before institutions placed Raymond Cauchetier’s name on exhibition walls, his photographs shaped our collective memory of the Nouvelle Vague. Jean Seberg walked along the Champs-Élysées in her New York Herald Tribune T-shirt. Jean-Paul Belmondo stretched out on a makeshift bed. Jeanne Moreau raced across a bridge. Anouk Aimée emerged from the shadows of a cabaret.

These images circulated through books, magazines, posters and galleries. In some cases, audiences encountered the photographs long before discovering the films.

From Combat Zones to Cinema Sets

Cauchetier began his career as a combat photographer in Vietnam. He later documented the architectural treasures of Europe and Southeast Asia. However, French cinema brought Raymond Cauchetier’s photography to international attention. Between 1959 and 1968, he captured the directors, actors and accidents that defined a new cinematic language.

Cauchetier worked as a poorly paid set photographer. Yet his position gave him remarkable freedom. In doing so, he captured intimate moments between takes, observing the films as they took shape. His photographs initially served as posters, press images and publicity material. In effect, the supposedly secondary images became inseparable from the films themselves.

A photographic witness of the Nouvelle Vague

Cauchetier worked on the sets of Godard’s “Breathless” (1960), Truffaut’s “Shoot the Piano Player” (1960)  and his “Jules and Jim” (1962), Jacques Demy’s “Lola” (1961). In brief, the photographs he took, intended as mere promotional giveaways, are now central to the cinematic history of Nouvelle Vague.

The Nouvelle Vague was one of the most influential movements in cinema history. It represented a radical break from the conventions of postwar French cinema. Instead of following tightly scripted scenes, its directors favoured experimentation and iconoclasm. They explored new approaches to editing and visual style. At the same time, they engaged with the era’s social and political upheavals. Moreover, irony and wit helped them confront the absurdity of human existence. Tight budgets often pushed filming into streets, cafés and friends’ apartments.

In 1959, Jean-Luc Godard hired Raymond Cauchetier for his debut film, “À Bout de Souffle”. Several of the photographs Cauchetier took during the production are iconic. Including, Belmondo and Seberg strolling along the Champs-Élysées is a cult classic, as is Seberg kissing Belmondo on the cheek. During the filming of Truffaut’s “Jules and Jim”, Cauchetier caught Jeanne Moreau and her lovers, Oskar Werner and Henri Serre, running across a railway bridge.

A Hymn to Love

Kaoru Cauchetier selected prints that reveal the richness and avant-garde spirit of Raymond Cauchetier’s work. In addition, the collection combines vintage photographs with later prints. Some appear in larger formats mounted on Dibond or aluminium.

“A Hymn to Love” uncovers stolen kisses and unguarded moments behind the scenes. Meanwhile, the 218 photographs carry estimates ranging from €400 to €6,000. For the last time, collectors can acquire works directly from Raymond Cauchetier’s archive.

First, an advance exhibition will take place at Aguttes Saint-Germain-des-Prés on 3, 5 and 6 October. Afterwards, the public exhibition will run at Aguttes Neuilly from 8 to 10 October. Finally, the auction takes place at Cinéma Saint-Germain-des-Prés on 12 October 2026 at 5:30 p.m.

Featured image: Raymond CAUCHETlER. À bout de souffle, Jean -Luc Godard. Jean Seberg au chapeau les yeux fermés, Hôtel de Suède, Quai Saint -Michel, Paris, 1959.

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