Madame

Madame was Henriette Niépce, first wife of director Gillo Pontecorvo and sister of the famous Janine, one of the first photojournalists who died in 2007, she was the great-granddaughter of Nicéphore Niépce, renowned inventor of photography. She allowed very few visitors, suffered from heart problems and had difficulty walking. For more than fifty years she had lived alone, by choice, in the old family home in Burgundy, surrounded by vineyards, where time had stood still. She never went out, little light came in through the windows and the dark rooms were lit by lamps. She wanted no one in the house, not even a femme de ménage. I met her through the introduction of Dr. François, her doctor, and after several visits I began to take photographs. Madame passed away on September 8, 2010 at the age of 94.