René Robert, a Swiss photographer, particularly known for his portraits of flamenco artists, died in Paris on the night of January 18 to 19, at the age of 85. But more than the event itself, it was the announcement of the conditions of his death that created fear and emotion in France: the photographer died in the street, near the Place de la République, a busy and central district of the capital, from hypothermia after a fall.
It was his friend Michel Mompontet, journalist for franceinfo, who revealed the details of his death. “Did he stumble? Did he feel unwell? We do not know. What we do know is that he fell, a little stunned, and he couldn’t get up“, he said in its editorial last Monday. Falling to the ground around 9:30 p.m., René Robert remained in the cold for more than nine hours, before a person, homeless himself, called for help. Arrived at the hospital, the photographer could not be revived.