René Robert (Fribourg, March 4, 1936-Paris, January 20, 2022) was a Swiss photographer, specialized in photographing Flemish artists.

he was born in the city of Friborg, Switzerland, and discovered photography at the age of 12 thanks to a friend. Although he wanted to study photography in Vevey, his father's refusal to pay for his education led him to apprentice to a Lausanne photographer for three years, after which he moved to Geneva to work in a press agency.</ P>

In the mid-1960s he moved to Paris. There he met a Swedish dancer who worked at a tablao called "Le Catalan", on rue des Grands-Augustins. Robert took black and white photographs of numerous figures of this art, such as Paco de Lucía, Enrique Morente, Chano Lobato, Fernando Terremoto, Israel Galván, Rocío Molina and Andrés Marín.

On the night of January 19, 2022, while walking in Paris near the Place de la République, he collapsed in the middle of the street. He remained nine hours stretched out on the sidewalk of rue de Turbigo, without receiving assistance from other passers-by. A homeless person became concerned about his condition and sought help; Some firefighters arrived at the scene at 6:30. Although he was taken to the hospital, the photographer died of hypothermia that January 20. </ P>

(Source Wikipedia)