Henri Cartier-Bresson - H.C.B. - 2020

Welcome to the 1st auction « Masters of French Photobooks » gathered by Anatole Desachy (France) and Ecki Heuser (Germany) at the occasion of the 57th edition of « Rencontres d’Arles » photofestival. From Man Ray & Brassaï avant-garde period of time to Lucien Clergue & Antoine D’Agata who are both linked to this fabulous city, enjoy our impressive selection of photobooks including deluxe, signed & association copies from great photographers !

GREAT ITALIAN BOOK by photography legend Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004) -
in VERY FRESH CONDITION.

The book is part of the series "Visionari".

"Visionari" is an exclusive Italian book series dedicated to the masters of photography, published by the newspaper La Repubblica in collaboration with National Geographic. A specific, out-of-print volume focuses entirely on the legendary French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, who is widely considered the pioneer of modern street photography. The monograph features an introduction to his life and artistic vision, alongside a curated selection of his black-and-white photographs, including portraits of prominent 20th-century figures. Henri Cartier-Bresson revolutionized art and photojournalism through two defining concepts:
1)
The Decisive Moment (moment décisif): The belief that there is a fleeting fraction of a second where the form, composition, and meaning of a scene align perfectly.
2)
The Leica Camera: As an early adopter of the unnoticeable 35mm camera, he captured candid, unstaged moments of everyday human life.He was also a co-founder of the renowned Magnum Photos agency. His historic images - spanning from the streets of Madrid to the liberation of Paris - remain timeless icons of photography.

This is a lot by 5Uhr30.com (Ecki Heuser, Cologne, Germany).
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Contrasto, Turin. Henri Cartier-Bresson (HCB) Foundation, Paris. 2020. First edition, first printing.

Hardcover (as issued). 245 x 295 mm. 144 pages. Photos by Henri Cartier-Bresson. Interview between Alain Desvergnes and Henri Cartier-Bresson. Foreword: Michele Smargiassi. Text: Stefano Bartezzaghi. Text in Italian.

Condition:
Inside and outside very fresh; light trace of use only, no remarkable flaws or defects. No previous owner marks, no foxing. Overall very fine condition.

Wonderful book by Henri Cartier-Bresson - in great condition.
Henri Cartier-Bresson is famous for many excellent photobooks, like 'The Decisive Moment' (1952) and 'The Europeans' (1955).

'Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer. One of the leading contemporary photographers, he had a great role in the recognition of photography as an art form. He was an specialist in what would be called humanist photography, also being an exponent of candid photography and street photography. His way of working meant to capture what he called "the decisive moment".
Cartier-Bresson traveled all around the world and documented historical events, like the proclamation of the People's Republic of China in 1949. He also published several photography books. In 1947, he was one of the founders of Magnum Photos.'
(Wikipedia)

'Born in Chanteloup-en-Brie, Seine-et-Marne, Henri Cartier-Bresson developed a strong fascination with painting early on, and particularly with Surrealism. In 1932, after spending a year in the Ivory Coast, he discovered the Leica – his camera of choice after that moment – and began a life-long passion for photography. In 1933, he had his first exhibition at the Julien Levy Gallery in New York. He later made films with Jean Renoir.
Taken prisoner of war in 1940, he escaped on his third attempt in 1943 and subsequently joined an underground organization to assist prisoners and escapees. In 1945, he photographed the liberation of Paris with a group of professional journalists and then filmed the documentary Le Retour (The Return).
In 1947, with Robert Capa, George Rodger, David ‘Chim’ Seymour and William Vandivert, he founded Magnum Photos. After three years he had spent travelling in the East, in 1952, he returned to Europe, where he published his first book, Images à la Sauvette (published in English as The Decisive Moment). He explained his approach to photography in these terms, ‘”For me the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity, the master of the instant which, in visual terms, questions and decides simultaneously. It is by economy of means that one arrives at simplicity of expression.
From 1968, he began to curtail his photographic activities, preferring to concentrate on drawing and painting. In 2003, with his wife and daughter, he created the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson in Paris for the preservation of his work. Cartier-Bresson received an extraordinary number of prizes, awards, and honorary doctorates. He died at his home in Provence on 3 August 2004, a few weeks short of his 96th birthday.'
(Magnum website)