The Perfect Eye

Ode aan meesterfotograaf Werner Mantz

In de jaren twintig en dertig van de twintigste eeuw verwierf fotograaf Werner Mantz (1901–1983) bekendheid als architectuur- en industriefotograaf. Zijn fotografie neemt in de geschiedenis een unieke plek in door zijn beeldtaal, gebruik van natuur­lijk licht en vakmanschap. Mantz was een van de belangrijkste fotografen van het Nieuwe Bouwen en sloeg de brug tussen de vaak anonieme opdrachtfotografie en die van de modernis­tische, artistieke avant-gardebewegingen van het interbellum zoals het Bauhaus. In de jaren zeventig wordt Mantz zelfs de missing link in de internationale fotogeschiedenis genoemd.

Tot op heden beperkten presentaties van zijn beelden zich tot thematische delen van zijn omvangrijke oeuvre. Deze monografie brengt daar verandering in en toont voor het eerst de veelzijdigheid van zijn werk. Werner Mantz – The Perfect Eye omvat ruim driehonderd overwegend vintage beelden, gaande van architectuurfotografie, reclamefoto’s en portretten van jong en oud, over industrie en mijnbouw, religieuze onderwerpen, winkels, restaurants en interieurs, tot wegen, openbare ruimten, landschappen en reisfoto’s. Het lijdt geen twijfel dat het oeuvre van Mantz tot de canon van de internationale fotografie behoort.


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Retrospective publication sheds new light on Werner Mantz's innovative photography

Werner Mantz (1901-1983) was a prominent architectural and industrial photographer who began his career in the 1920s. His work occupies a unique historical position thanks to his visual language, technical prowess and use of natural light. As one of the most important photographers of the New Building movement, Mantz’s oeuvre bridges the gap between the often-anonymous nature of commissioned photography and the modernist­, artistic avant-garde movements of the interwar years, such as the Bauhaus. In the ­1970s, Mantz was even hailed as the ‘missing link’ in the history of international photography.

To date, only thematic selections from Mantz’s wide-ranging oeuvre have been exhibited. This monograph sets the record straight by showcasing, for the very first time, his immense versatility. Werner Mantz – The Perfect Eye contains over 300 predominantly vintage images, ranging from architectural photography, advertising shots and portraits of adults and children, to views of industry and mines, religious subjects, shops, restaurants and interiors, as well as roads, public spaces, landscapes and travel photographs. That Mantz’s oeuvre belongs to the canon of international photography is indis

Werner Mantz (1901-1983) was a prominent architectural and industrial photographer who began his career in the 1920s. His work occupies a unique historical position thanks to his visual language, technical prowess and use of natural light. As one of the most important photographers of the New Building movement, Mantz's oeuvre bridges the gap between the often-anonymous nature of commissioned photography and the modernist, artistic avant-garde movements of the interwar years, such as the Bauhaus. In the 1970s, Mantz was even hailed as the 'missing link' in the history of international photography.
To date, only thematic selections from Mantz's wide-ranging oeuvre have been exhibited. This monograph sets the record straight by show-casing, for the very first time, his immense versatility.
Werner Mantz - The Perfect Eye contains over 300 predominantly vintage images, ranging from architectural photography, advertising shots and portraits of adults and children, to views of industry and mines, religious subjects, shops, restaurants and interiors, as well as roads, public spaces, landscapes and travel photographs. That Mantz's oeuvre belongs to the canon of international photography is indisputable.
With text contributions by Frits Gierstberg, Stijn Huijts, Huub Smeets, Charlotte Mantz and Clément Mantz.
Werner Mantz - The Perfect Eye is the publication accompanying the retrospective exhibition of Werner Mantz at the Bonnefanten in Maastricht from September 25, 2022 to February 26, 2023.

Werner Mantz (1901-1983) was a prominent architectural and industrial photographer who began his career in the 1920s. His work occupies a unique historical position thanks to his visual language, technical prowess and use of natural light. As one of the most important photographers of the New Building movement, Mantz's oeuvre bridges the gap between the often-anonymous nature of commissioned photography and the modernist, artistic avant-garde movements of the interwar years, such as the Bauhaus. In the 1970s, Mantz was even hailed as the 'missing link' in the history of international photography.
To date, only thematic selections from Mantz's wide-ranging oeuvre have been exhibited. This monograph sets the record straight by show-casing, for the very first time, his immense versatility.
Werner Mantz - The Perfect Eye contains over 300 predominantly vintage images, ranging from architectural photography, advertising shots and portraits of adults and children, to views of industry and mines, religious subjects, shops, restaurants and interiors, as well as roads, public spaces, landscapes and travel photographs. That Mantz's oeuvre belongs to the canon of international photography is indisputable.
With text contributions by Frits Gierstberg, Stijn Huijts, Huub Smeets, Charlotte Mantz and Clément Mantz.
Werner Mantz - The Perfect Eye is the publication accompanying the retrospective exhibition of Werner Mantz at the Bonnefanten in Maastricht from September 25, 2022 to February 26, 2023.