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Henri Cartier-Bresson in India
"Striking images of a land renowned for its contradictions and variety as viewed by one of the great artists of our century."-Houston Post
Henri Cartier-Bresson's record of his fascination with India over half a lifetime contains the very best of his photographs of that country. Beginning in 1947 at the time of Independence and produced during six extended visits over a twenty-year period, these beautiful, dramatic images are shaped by an eye and a mind legendary for their intelligent empathy and for going to the heart of the matter.
Cartier-Bresson's extraordinary gifts of observation and his famous "mantle of invisibility," as well as his good connections with Jawaharlal Nehru and others, allowed him to capture the quintessence of India. His pictures of Hindus in refugee camps after the Partition or beggars in Calcutta speak with the same passion and authority as those of the Maharaja of Baroda's sumptuous birthday celebrations or of the Mountbattens on the steps of Government House. Ample space is given to his famous reportages, such as the astonishing sequence on the death and cremation of Gandhi. But above all, it is the apparently ordinary faces and scenes from market, temple, or countryside that have the power to put us in direct touch with the spirit of a country and its people. 105 duotone illustrations.
Henri Cartier-Bresson's record of his fascination with India over half a lifetime contains the very best of his photographs of that country. Beginning in 1947 at the time of Independence and produced during six extended visits over a twenty-year period, these beautiful, dramatic images are shaped by an eye and a mind legendary for their intelligent empathy and for going to the heart of the matter.
Cartier-Bresson's extraordinary gifts of observation and his famous "mantle of invisibility," as well as his good connections with Jawaharlal Nehru and others, allowed him to capture the quintessence of India. His pictures of Hindus in refugee camps after the Partition or beggars in Calcutta speak with the same passion and authority as those of the Maharaja of Baroda's sumptuous birthday celebrations or of the Mountbattens on the steps of Government House. Ample space is given to his famous reportages, such as the astonishing sequence on the death and cremation of Gandhi. But above all, it is the apparently ordinary faces and scenes from market, temple, or countryside that have the power to put us in direct touch with the spirit of a country and its people. 105 duotone illustrations.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1987
About the author
Henri Cartier-Bresson
182 books235 followersHenri 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.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 21, 2017
آنری کرتیه برسون از عکاسان شهیر فرانسویه و در این اثر گزیده ای از عکس های سیاه و سفیدش از هند رو آورده - او شش سفر مفصل به هند داشته. عکس ها به موضوعاتی از قبیل وضع و حال مردم - خصوصا زن ها - ، مراسم دینی و آیینی و مردان باورمند ادیان مختلف، مهاجرت مسلمانان هند در جریان جدایی هند و پاکستان، گاندی و مراسم تشییع او، جواهر لعل نهرو و ایندیرا گاندی می پردازن. اما سوای موضوع، نفس عکس ها کیفیت بصری بالایی دارن - تا حدی که بیننده حس می کنه موضوع فقط بهانه است
من از عکس ها لذت بردم هم به دلیل کیفیت بصریشون هم به این دلیل که بیانگر یک شیوه ی زندگی متفاوت بودند - که البته این مورد دوم ویژگی هنده نه برسون عکاس. یعنی من هم لذت بصری می بردم و هم با عرصه ای جادویی-عجیب-جذاب-پس زننده روبرو می شدم که منو به فکر وا می داشت در مورد زندگی خودم
در آغاز کتاب مقاله ای چند صفحه ای از "ایو وکو"ی فرانسوی در مورد هندوئیزم آورده شده - ظاهرا به انتخاب خود برسون. این مقاله هم به نظرم جالب بود. چون در عین اینکه اصلا فنی نبود اما خواننده ی عام رو به فضای هندی نزدیک می کرد - فقط نزدیک، نه بیشتر در حد آشنایی. البته زیادی هندوئیزم رو از منظر مدرن دیده بود - یعنی بحث رواداری مذهبی، جذب روایت های مختلف نحله های گوناگون در درون خود و فقدان یک روایت رسمی
حاشیه. این رو هم بگم که در چند عکس حس خوبی نداشتم که آدم ها و وضعشون به امری زیباشناسانه فرو کاسته شده بودن - یا حداقل حس من این بود
September 9, 2010
This is a collection of black and white photos of India from the Indian independence (late 1940s) to Indira Gandhi's government (mid-1960s).
The photos document a past era for sure but also, probably, a good part of Indian life today. A few pictures stand out: Muslim women praying at dawn with hands raised to the sky. In the aftermath of Gandhi's assassination, C-B's photos capture "fervent crowds" of people who "fight to touch the train carrying his ashes," of people "tossing flowers" on Gandhi's hearse. In another series of photos, one captures devotees who pay their respects at the funeral of Bhagavan Maharishi whose dead body, garland with flowers and mouth agape, is forced to sit up. Overall, the photos are simple in content. They are crisp and uncluttered. The picture of saris drying at the red fort in Delhi is pure symmetry.
A brief essay on Hinduism by Yves Vequaud introduces this book. The essay attempts to explain a pluralistic and complex religious heritage in just a few pages. "The gods of India," he writes, are "symbols of various forms of energy, of particular forces at work in the cosmos, which stems from the one and same deity...who...defies definition...[a] Being without duality." Vequaud then describes the role of the primary Hindu divinities (the Hindu "Trimurti") that come from Being (presumably, Brahman). Thus Vishnu is the (immanent) One in the world. Shiva is the disintegration of the immanent; all that exists is destroyed, and from this state, new existence emerges. Brahma (today a lesser deity) is said to be the driving, creative force that governs the relationship between existence (Vishnu) and non-existence (Shiva). I think the theme of all-pervading devotion ties this essay to the pictures.
The photos document a past era for sure but also, probably, a good part of Indian life today. A few pictures stand out: Muslim women praying at dawn with hands raised to the sky. In the aftermath of Gandhi's assassination, C-B's photos capture "fervent crowds" of people who "fight to touch the train carrying his ashes," of people "tossing flowers" on Gandhi's hearse. In another series of photos, one captures devotees who pay their respects at the funeral of Bhagavan Maharishi whose dead body, garland with flowers and mouth agape, is forced to sit up. Overall, the photos are simple in content. They are crisp and uncluttered. The picture of saris drying at the red fort in Delhi is pure symmetry.
A brief essay on Hinduism by Yves Vequaud introduces this book. The essay attempts to explain a pluralistic and complex religious heritage in just a few pages. "The gods of India," he writes, are "symbols of various forms of energy, of particular forces at work in the cosmos, which stems from the one and same deity...who...defies definition...[a] Being without duality." Vequaud then describes the role of the primary Hindu divinities (the Hindu "Trimurti") that come from Being (presumably, Brahman). Thus Vishnu is the (immanent) One in the world. Shiva is the disintegration of the immanent; all that exists is destroyed, and from this state, new existence emerges. Brahma (today a lesser deity) is said to be the driving, creative force that governs the relationship between existence (Vishnu) and non-existence (Shiva). I think the theme of all-pervading devotion ties this essay to the pictures.
January 14, 2021
Really fascinating, especially if you're a fan of recent Indian history. I didn't realize the famous picture of the Mountbattens with Nehru laughing between them (the cover of this wonderful book) was by Cartier-Besson. Lots of other famous pics of Gandhi, as well.
I wasn't sure how I felt about the book's presentation of these photographs - they jump around across time (photos of fleeing refugees during Partition in 1948, then suddenly Keralan dancers in 1960s, etc) and across space (Rajasthan on one page, Orissa on the next). If someone doesn't know India very well, or even just doesn't read the captions, they may not realize that they're seeing such very different contexts.
Also, funnily, given the intro by Satyajit Ray, I did feel a deep familiarity with these black and white portrayals of rural poverty thanks to old Indian cinema - specifically, it reminded me of some old Hindi films like Awaara or Chori Chori (incidentally, I read somewhere that Nehru adored this song - boy, do I agree). Ray's Pather Panchali, as well.
I do wonder how someone who's totally unfamiliar with Indian history, regions, etc, would interpret all these pics. The book mentioned that Cartier-Bresson (who I know zero about) made a similar book about Mexico (that I know almost zero about), so maybe I'll check that out next.
I wasn't sure how I felt about the book's presentation of these photographs - they jump around across time (photos of fleeing refugees during Partition in 1948, then suddenly Keralan dancers in 1960s, etc) and across space (Rajasthan on one page, Orissa on the next). If someone doesn't know India very well, or even just doesn't read the captions, they may not realize that they're seeing such very different contexts.
Also, funnily, given the intro by Satyajit Ray, I did feel a deep familiarity with these black and white portrayals of rural poverty thanks to old Indian cinema - specifically, it reminded me of some old Hindi films like Awaara or Chori Chori (incidentally, I read somewhere that Nehru adored this song - boy, do I agree). Ray's Pather Panchali, as well.
I do wonder how someone who's totally unfamiliar with Indian history, regions, etc, would interpret all these pics. The book mentioned that Cartier-Bresson (who I know zero about) made a similar book about Mexico (that I know almost zero about), so maybe I'll check that out next.
April 19, 2021
Not so much a collection of "decisive moment" photographs, but a thorough and detailed portrait of the Indian people during a time of change. While there are pictures of fleeting moments in the streets, in typical Cartier-Bresson fashion, this book is a collection of a more composed and strategically shot body of work. A masterclass in composition and framing, subject matter and story telling.
March 3, 2011
I enjoyed spending some time with this book while I was reading Salman Rushdie's "Midnight's Children" -- it provided a different perspective on the roughly the same time period covered in Rushdie's book (1947 independence through the 1960's).
March 13, 2009
India recognized long ago that sooner of later words end up having the opposite of their original meaning.
-Yves Vequaud, Henri Cartier-Bresson in India
-Yves Vequaud, Henri Cartier-Bresson in India
February 24, 2016
My wife and I were fortunate to have seen a Cartier-Bresson exhibit at the High Museum in Atlanta a few years ago. Easily the best photo exhibit I've ever seen.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews