A Propos de Paris

by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Vera Feyder, André Pieyre de Mandiargues

"Photography is nothing, it's life that interests me." With his ever-present Leica camera, Henri Cartier-Bresson captured the raw and the sweet, the comic and the profound moments of lives that were lost in the grind or relegated to someone else's memory--the coincidental moment at which a reflection in a puddle of water mimics a poster on a nearby wall or when lovers kiss, oblivious to the not-so-pristine world around them. It is the familiar beauty and cruelty of the day-to-day that is so engaging in his photographs: two cosmopolitan woman chat nonchalantly while surrounded by empty lettuce crates; mourners at a funeral stare directly into the camera; postwar Paris awakens in the fog. Cartier-Bresson was the master of the "decisive moment," that fleeting instant for which a picture really is worth a thousand words, which is the essence of photojournalism. In no place is this more exemplified than in his images of Paris.

Cartier-Bresson personally selected the more than 130 black-and-white photographs of Paris for this publication. With photographs taken over a period of 50 years, the work is beautifully and generously printed in duotone. The accompanying essays, both short and unobtrusive, are also familiar and personal. One essayist captures the essence of Cartier-Bresson's camera work: "When life calls, he is always there, to assist, or to admire; to rebel, or to say no to exploiters and imposters, and to all those who demean its value." --Manine Golden

Genres: Photography, Art, Nonfiction, France, Art and Photography, Paris

Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer considered to be the father of modern photojournalism, an early adopter of 35 mm format, and the master of candid photography. He helped develop the "street photography" or "real life reportage" style that has influenced generations of photographers that followed.

Reviews

[Paul H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cartier-Bresson's best photobook, by far; it's always been so strange to me that he devolved into a mediocre Magnum staff photographer in later decades.

[Mike Peleah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic, Paris of 1930s-40s-50s-60s...

[Alex Gross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another quick, temporary review:

There are photographs in this collection that a hundred photographers could spend a lifetime working to match and no one would get close.

[Gijs Limonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exploring the classics in photography; feast your eyes on these works of art; not all masterpieces but plenty to go around to get you inspired. Many of these collections are long out of print; check out the Internet Archive (https://archive.org); many of the timeless classics are made freely available or after signing up, free to (digitally) borrow.

[Alfonso de Castro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un excelente trabajo de uno de los fotógrafos mas importantes de nuestro tiempo. El formato del libro sin ser demasiado grande tiene unas dimensiones muy adecuadas. Es perfecto para su lectura y disfrute en todo momento.

[Cecelia]

Oh, this book is pretty much perfect