Like a cat with nine lives, Lee Miller lived many different lives. She was a fashion model, a muse, a photographer, a war correspondent, a homemaker, a gardener, and even a food expert. All of these sides of her are beautifully shown in this wonderful retrospective at FOMU in Antwerp. She began her career as a fashion model in 1920s New York, but it wasn’t long before she moved behind the camera. In Paris, she studied photography and worked closely with the famous surrealist artist Man Ray. Her early photos broke away from traditional beauty and mixed elegance with the strange and unexpected. She also became Man Ray’s muse, model, and lover. During World War II, Miller’s photography took a powerful turn. Working as a war correspondent for Vogue, she was one of the first women to photograph the front lines. She captured the London Blitz, the chaos of field hospitals, the battle of Saint-Malo—where she was the only photographer present—and the liberation of concentration camps. Her photos from this time are honest, brave, and deeply moving. One of her most famous images is a self-portrait in Hitler’s bathtub—still seen today as a strong symbol of resistance and survival. Although she later tried to leave this part of her life behind and even hid her war photos, they were preserved and are now shared with the world.
For me, these powerful images are the heart of this exhibition.
