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Endpoint: Genia Rubin (Photographer)



created on: 8/04/2026
by: bob (10699)
 
 

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General info :
Genia Rubin (born as Jewgeni Germanowitch Rubin in 1906 in Kiev, then Russian Empire - died February 15, 2001, Paris, France), sometiimes credited as Rubin de Rays, was a Russian-born French photographer.

Genia Rubin left for Berlin in 1927, where he initially assisted the cinematographer Karl Freund — best known for his work on German Expressionist classics such as The Golem and The Last Laugh.

In 1929 Genia Rubin moved to Paris, working as a still photographer at Pathé and establishing himself as a portraitist. Two years later, he returned to Berlin, opened his own studio on Kurfürstendamm, and became a contributor to prominent magazines like Das Magazin and Elegante Welt — integrating the aesthetics of Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity) into his work.

By 1935 he was back in Paris, where he join Harry Ossip Meerson at his rue Campagne-Première studio, and learnt how to make a living out of fashion photography.

Rubin is one of the pioneers, and most representative figures of surrealist fashion photography, together with Man Ray, Cecil Beaton, Erwin Blumenfeld, Dora Maar, Horst P. Horst and George Hoyningen-Huene. It was very typical of those surrealist fashion photographers to use props, theatrical lighting, and a classical look. Rubin also used frequently surrealist techniques in some of his works, such as collage, “trompe d’oeil” or solarisation.

His integration into the surrealist milieu was further cemented when André Breton invented Rubin to take part in “Le surréalisme en 1947”, at the Maeght Gallery, regarded as the last international surrealist exhibition.

His work was displayed as "guest of honour" in the 1954 Photography Year Book under the name Rubin de Rays, stating as his address at the time: 2 Square de Champs de Mars, Paris, France.
Source :
ENA's Rubin de Rays

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Item number : 72462

Submitted by : bob (10699)
on : 08/04/2026
Refined by : bob (10699)
Last updated on: 08/04/2026