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An original artist’s proof—a silver gelatin print signed by Pierre Terrasson and dated 1989, depicting the author of La Javanaise holding this very camera—will accompany the Nikon F2 at the sale on May 6, 2026, in Neuilly-sur-Seine. This lot attests to Gainsbourg’s passion for photography and to a shoot that has become emblematic.
Meeting between the photographer of the rock scene and the author of Love on the Beat
As Pierre Terrasson was becoming one of the leading portrait photographers of the French rock scene, he welcomed Serge Gainsbourg to his studio in 1984, at the Cité de la Maladrerie (Aubervilliers), for a shoot commissioned by the French rock magazine Best. He posed there in black and white following the release of Love on the Beat (1984). Gainsbourg noticed the photographer’s Nikon F2, sparking a conversation about photography and painting, with Terrasson having graduated from the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in the 1970s.
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Serge Gainsbourg (1928–1991) This lot brings together a black Nikon F2 (no. 7535958)—an iconic fully mechanical professional SLR from the 1970s–1980s, fitted with a 24mm f/2 lens and an MD-3 motor drive—along with an original artist’s proof: a silver gelatin print signed by Pierre Terrasson and dated 1989, depicting Serge Gainsbourg holding this very camera. Estimate: €10,000–15,000
Nikon F2: the camera that turned a photo shoot into a myth
Gainsbourg owned the same camera body at his home on rue de Verneuil (Paris 7th arrondissement), and during this shoot he picked up Terrasson’s Nikon F2. The photographer then decided to capture the singer holding the camera, creating a series of photographs in which “Serge with the Nikon F2” became the artist’s most iconic image. This portrait also reflects the budding rapport between the two artists.
This Nikon F2 no. 7535958—a professional black 24×36 Nikon F2 SLR equipped with a viewfinder and an MD1 motor drive—features a configuration emblematic of Nikon’s professional equipment of the 1970s–1980s. Built in metal, fully mechanical, and produced between 1971 and 1980, the F2 Photomic was renowned for its robustness and its titanium curtain shutter.
A cult Nikon F2 and a portrait of Gainsbourg by the photographer of rock artists, a lot estimated at €10,000–15,000
Handled by Gainsbourg during a session with Pierre Terrasson in 1984, this Nikon F2—offered here with its 24mm f/2 lens—remains inseparable from this iconic portrait of Serge Gainsbourg. The original artist’s proof, a silver gelatin print signed by Pierre Terrasson and dated 1989, depicts Gainsbourg holding this very camera.
Since that now-legendary session, the series of photographs has been printed and exhibited numerous times. The video Histoire d’une photo recounts that after a shoot with photographer Jean-Yves Le Gras and a discussion about the Nikon F2, Terrasson went on to take several shots—camera under the chin, camera raised to the eye (the image presented and offered for sale with the camera)—playing with framing. The camera thus becomes a true extension of Gainsbourg’s face, turning this image into one of the most cult and emblematic visual markers of the artist.
Upcoming auction
Pop Culture & Memorabilia
Wednesday, June 3 at 2:30 pm
Public Exhibition
Monday, June 1st and Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026: 10 am–1 pm and 2 pm–6 pm
Wednesday, May 6, 2026: 10 am–1 pm