IZIS. - Lot 135

IZIS. Photographs 1944–1980. Introduction by Marie de Thézy. Paris, Éditions de La Martinière, [circa 1993]. Large quarto, publisher’s hardcover with illustrated dust jacket. A beautiful retrospective dedicated to Izis Bidermanas (1911–1980), one of the leading figures of French humanist photography alongside Robert Doisneau, Willy Ronis, Édouard Boubat, and Brassaï. Born in Lithuania and having settled in Paris before World War II, Izis began contributing to *Paris Match* magazine in 1949 while developing a deeply personal body of work that blends poetry, dreams, and observations of everyday life. His artistic world, akin to that of Jacques Prévert—who dedicated several texts to him—transforms each image into a narrative imbued with tenderness and melancholy. This significant volume traces nearly forty years of his creative work, from the Liberation to the late 1970s. It brings together the series that established his reputation: scenes of Parisian streets, portraits of artists and writers, the world of the circus, travels, popular festivals, children, as well as numerous photographs that have become iconic. The illustrations are abundant and reproduced with great care. Marie de Thézy’s introduction situates Izis’s work within the history of French humanist photography and highlights the importance of her unique perspective, which is more dreamlike and contemplative than documentary. Condition: a very fine copy. Hardcover and dust jacket in excellent condition, with no notable flaws. Interior is perfectly fresh.