CARTIER-BRESSON (Henri). - Lot 56

CARTIER-BRESSON (Henri). Henri Cartier-Bresson. From the “Great Photographers of Magnum Photos” series. Paris, Hachette, [1990s]. Quarto, illustrated publisher’s hardcover. A volume dedicated to Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908–2004), a founding figure of the Magnum Photos agency and one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century. True to the spirit of the “Les grands photographes de Magnum Photos” collection, this book offers a clear and richly illustrated introduction to his work, from his early photoessays of the 1930s to his major journeys through Europe, Asia, India, China, the Soviet Union, and Mexico. The reproductions highlight the images that made Cartier-Bresson famous: street scenes, the decisive moment, geometric compositions, portraits of prominent figures, and historic photo essays. In particular, it features his photographs of France between the two world wars, the Liberation, the India of Gandhi and Nehru, revolutionary China, the USSR, and daily life around the world. The volume recalls the photographer’s famous definition: “For me, a photograph is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the meaning of a fact and of a rigorous organization of the visually perceived forms that express that fact.” Numerous full-page black-and-white photographic reproductions. Condition: Very good copy. Hardcover showing some slight superficial signs of wear; interior is fresh and clean.