“My inner revolution is the abandonment of all the more or less imaginary laws I thought I had to obey. My ‘thing’ is a wild freedom (and also a free madness)”

Jacques Lartigue was born on June 13, 1894, in Courbevoie, to an affluent family. His father, Henri Lartigue, an amateur enthusiast of modern objects, automobiles, and photography, passed on his passions to Jacques. Jacques, the youngest and most spoiled child, grew up surrounded by pleasures and amusements, between the family’s Parisian townhouse, which they began occupying in 1899, and their vacation home in Rouzat, in the heart of the Puy-de-Dôme, which was sold in 1923.

A precocious child, Jacques began writing about his daily activities and personal thoughts at the age of 6. His father introduced him to photography and gave him his first camera (a 13 x 18 tripod camera) at just seven. He captured everything that amused or fascinated him.
Writing and images became intertwined, continuously documenting the moment and reflecting daily life. Movement inspired him: the first airplanes, cars, sporting events, and the beautiful women of the Bois de Boulogne appeared as subjects in his early snapshots. To preserve these moments, he created photo albums that chronicled his intimate and family life.

In 1912, he took his first color photographs. He attended the Académie Julian in 1915, where painting became his professional focus, and he studied under J.P. Laurens and A. Decheneau. In 1919, he married Madeleine Messager, known as "Bibi," the daughter of André Messager—a composer, conductor, and director of the Opera, who became his favorite model. On August 23, 1921, their son Dani was born.

From 1922 onward, he began exhibiting his paintings in Paris at the Galerie Georges Petit. He became friends with Sacha Guitry, Yvonne Printemps, Maurice Chevalier, Abel Gance, and the painter Van Dongen. He produced series of portraits of his friends and of athletes in action. In the 1930s, influenced by Forain and close to Sem, he produced rapid sketches infused with biting irony. He frequented the world of cinema: Jacques Feyder, Abel Gance, and later Robert Bresson, François Truffaut, and Federico Fellini. He also expressed himself by creating brightly colored fabrics inspired by Art Nouveau, some of which he designed for Bianchini Ferrier and Rochas in 1936. He illustrated fashion magazines and created designs for couturiers Jacques Fath and Madame Carven. He designed sets for gala events in Cannes, La Baule, and Lausanne, and occasionally created furniture.

From 1949, he pursued black-and-white photography and began incorporating color images. With his Rolleiflex, he preferred the square format until the 1970s, though he also used a Leica for the 24x36 format. Remaining faithful to his journal, he continued to document his life: "I am a taxidermist of the things life offers me as I pass by." He stayed in Vallauris, spending time with Pablo Picasso, and in 1954, he founded the association "Gens d’Image." His photographs were published in Point de vue and Images du Monde. In 1962, John Szarkowski organized the first exhibition of his photographs at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. This marked the beginning of Lartigue’s recognition as a photographer. From this point onward, he added his father's name to his own, becoming Jacques-Henri Lartigue.

In 1977, he was commissioned to create the official portrait of the new French President, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, with whom he developed a friendship. Numerous books were dedicated to his photographic work. In 1979, he donated his entire photographic collection to the French State. Though celebrated for his photography, it is, ironically, painting that tells the greatest story of his life. He passed away on September 12, 1986, at the age of 92.