Early on in this retrospective devoted to the forgotten master Emil Otto Hoppe, I was struck by the natural elegance in a portrait of a young Margot Fonteyn, aged 16. Like so many of Hoppe’s portraits of early twentieth-century luminaries of the arts, literature, and politics on view in this exhibition, the spare and poised image of Fonteyn implicitly refers to her dancer’s grace without relying upon dramatic poses or elaborate costumes. Tightly cropped and set upon a neutral backdrop, the curve of Fonteyn’s swanlike neck, the dash of glamour in her shimmering dress and the confident sultriness of her confronting gaze hint at her captivating stage presence and future success.

Born in Munich and educated in Paris and Vienna, Hoppe used photography to document the personalities who shaped his adopted nation of Great Britain. Emphasising Hoppe’s reputation as a sought-after society portraitist before and after World War I, this compact exhibition begins with portraits of famed figures like Ezra Pound - images that have become synonymous with the individuals depicted. Their enduring impact was largely due to Hoppe’s devotion to, and research into, the work of his subjects, be they camera-shy British novelists (Thomas Hardy) or future fascists (Benito Mussolini). Hoppe’s masterly ability to draw out the inner self of his subjects was successful at revealing the hidden qualities behind both modest talent and fearsome magnetism, whether on stage or behind a writing desk.

In an exhibited interview entitled ‘The Crusader for Beauty’ from Shadowland, a magazine published in 1920, author Frederick James Smith wrote, ‘E. O. Hoppe presents the unique problem of a man who became so successful with the camera that the public well-nigh forgot his ability as an artist.’ Through a discerning selection of vintage and modern prints, archival exhibition invitations, publications, sample textile, and stage set designs, Hoppe Portraits: Society, Studio and Street aims to rediscover Hoppe, a name once lost to history, as an artist dedicated to sensitively portraying the entirety of the society in which he roamed.

Hiding his Brownie camera within a paper bag, by the 1930s Hoppe had taken his photographic practice onto the street, intent upon honestly representing the increasing diversity amongst Londoners, and exploring the evolving British national character during the interwar period. Sometimes revealing, other times clearly staged (consider the image of a young woman mourning her dog at the Hyde Park Pet Cemetery), Hoppe’s street photographs consistently fascinate the viewer as windows into a common past. Adeptly linking Hoppe’s studio practice to his street series by establishing the photographer’s intense curiosity into the human presence, this captivating retrospective recognises the artist’s agile traversal of Britain’s regimented social system.

Recognised by Cecil Beaton as a ‘master’, Hoppe found success in his ability to dignify his subjects, from reigning royals to circus performers, whilst sidestepping the pity pervading the work of socially conscious photographers like Lewis Hines and avoiding the exoticism so often present in contemporary ethnographic examinations. Leaving skeptical viewers enchanted by the magic of the camera, this introductory exhibition opens a path for future scholarship into the impression left by E.O. Hoppe on twentieth-century documentary photography.

Until May 30

PERRIN LATHROP