HAVELANGE (Carl). - Lot 129

HAVELANGE (Carl). Maurice Blondel: A Photographic Enigma. Charleroi, Éditions Éréme – Charleroi Museum of Photography, n.d. (circa 2000). Large quarto (approx. 31 × 24 cm), illustrated publisher’s hardcover. Numerous black-and-white photographic reproductions. Text by Carl Havelange. An important volume devoted to the photographic work—long overlooked—of the philosopher Maurice Blondel (1861–1949). Taken between 1895 and 1915, his photographs display a surprising modernity and reveal an ambitious photographic practice, independent of the pictorialist conventions of his time. Portraits, street scenes, landscapes, seascapes, and self-portraits make up a highly coherent body of work, examined here through the lens of the image’s genesis and Blondel’s artistic explorations. Published to mark the rediscovery of this exceptional collection, this catalog serves as the definitive reference on the subject and contributes to the reassessment of Maurice Blondel’s place in the history of photography. A richly illustrated edition, co-published with the Musée de la Photographie de Charleroi. Condition: very good copy. Minimal signs of wear on the cover. Interior is fresh and clean.