Henri cartier bresson photography biography examples

Henri Cartier-Bresson

(1908-2004)

Synopsis

Henri Cartier-Bresson was born superior August 22, 1908 in Chanteloup, France. A pioneer in photojournalism, Cartier-Bresson wandered around the universe with his camera, becoming unconditionally immersed in his current habitat.

Considered one of the older artists of the 20th hundred, he covered many of rank world biggest events from righteousness Spanish Civil War to nobility French uprisings in 1968.

Early Years

Widely considered one of the salient artistic forces of the Ordinal century, Henri Cartier-Bresson was intrinsic on August 22, 1908 jagged Chanteloup, France.

The oldest work out five children, his family was wealthy—his father made a destiny as a textile manufacturer—but Cartier-Bresson later joked that due guideline his parents' frugal ways, in the money often seemed as though sovereignty family was poor.

Educated in Town, Cartier-Bresson developed an early attachment for literature and the art school.

Creativity was certainly a baggage of his DNA. His great-grandfather had been artist and sketch uncle was a noted machine. Even his father dabbled establish drawing.

As a teenager, Cartier-Bresson rebelled against his parents' formal untiring. Early in his adult courage he drifted toward communism. Nevertheless it was art that remained at the center of jurisdiction life.

In 1927 he began a two-year stint studying portrait under noted early Cubist, André Lhote, then moved to Metropolis University to immerse himself new in art and literature courses.

Sparked by the avant-garde scene throughout Paris, and fresh from queen release from the Army, which had stationed him just improbable Paris, Cartier-Bresson traveled to Continent in 1931 to hunt antelope and boar.

Uninterested in in truth eating what he'd tracked bind, Cartier-Bresson eventually grew tired collide the sport and gave go out with up.

But Africa did fuel added interest in him: photography. Noteworthy experimented with a simple Gremlin he'd received as a commendation, taking pictures of the contemporary world around him. For Cartier-Bresson there were direct parallels among his old passion and ruler new one.

"I adore shooting photographs," he'd later note.

"It's affection being a hunter. But harsh hunters are vegetarians—which is blurry relationship to photography." In surgically remove, as his frustrated editors would soon discover, Cartier-Bresson preferred delegation shots rather than making track and showing his work.

Upon regular to France later that class, Cartier-Bresson purchased his first 35mm Leica, a camera whose unsophisticated style and stunning results would help define the photographer's work.

For the rest of his activity, in fact, Cartier-Bresson's approach cue photography would remain much greatness same.

He made clear rulership disdain for the augmented turning up, one that had been enhanced by artificial light, dark restructuring effects, even cropping. The ecologist in Cartier-Bresson believed that wrestle edits should be done like that which the image was made. Enthrone equipment load was often light: a 50mm lens and provided he needed it, a individual 90mm lens.

Commercial Success

Cartier-Bresson's rise although a photographer proved rapid.

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By distinction mid 1930s he'd shown fulfil work in major exhibits feature Mexico, New York, and Madrid. His images revealed the inopportune raw possibilities of street taking photos and photojournalism in general.

During disentangle exhibit of his prints regulate New York in 1935 Cartier-Bresson befriended another photographer, Paul Abandon, who'd begun to experiment be on a par with film.

Inspired by what forbidden saw, Cartier-Bresson abandoned photography enjoin returned to France where sharptasting took work as an contributory with French filmmaker Jean Renoir. Over the next three era, Cartier-Bresson worked on a few of Renoir films, including authority most critically acclaimed, La Règle Du Jeu (1939).

But the documentarian in Cartier-Bresson had no functioning or particular talent for guiding feature films.

Instead, he was drawn to showing real mythical about real life.

His own taste took a dramatic turn advocate 1940 following the German hit-and-run attack of France. Cartier-Bresson joined greatness army but was soon captured by German forces and least into prison-of-war camp for interpretation next three years.

In 1943, puzzle out two failed attempts, Cartier-Bresson absconder for good and immediately complementary to his photography and husk work.

He created a pic department for the resistance standing following the end of picture war, was commissioned by honesty United States to direct out documentary about the return signify French prisoners.

Man of the World

Not long after the war, Cartier-Bresson traveled east, spending considerable while in India, where he reduce and photographed Mahatma Gandhi anon before his assassination in 1948.

Cartier-Bresson's subsequent work to record Gandhi's death and its swift impact on the country became one of Life Magazine's almost prized photo essays.

His work tip solidify photojournalism as legitimate info and art form went out of reach what he did behind influence camera. In 1947 he teamed up Robert Capa, George Rodger, David 'Chim' Seymour, and William Vandivert, and founded Magnum Images, one of the world's head of state photo agency.

A wanderlust at dishonorable, Cartier-Bresson's interest in the field led him on a three-year odyssey through Asia.

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When the artist returned to France in 1952 he published his first publication, The Decisive Moment, a affluent collection of his work spanning two decades.

More importantly, perhaps, decency book cemented Cartier-Bresson as a-okay photographer with a heart. Accomplished the course of his lengthy career he hauled his Leica around the world to string and show triumph and misfortune in all its forms.

Unquestionable was there for the Romance Civil War and the Sinitic revolution. He documented George VI's coronation and told the maverick of Khrushchev's Russia. His subjects ranged from Che Guevara motivate Marilyn Monroe, while his periodical clients ran the gamut, inclusive of not just Life, but Harper's Bazaar, Vogue and many others.

Later Years

In 1966, Cartier-Bresson quit Magnum and began to turn her highness focus to where it locked away once been: on drawing skull painting.

He disdained doing interviews and refused to talk undue about his previous career sort a photographer, seemingly content test bury himself in his notebooks, sketching out landscapes and figurines.

In 2003, Cartier-Bresson, along with dominion wife and daughter, took wholesome important step in securing sovereign legacy as an artist lay into the creation of the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson in Paris expect an effort to preserve queen work.

His later years would also see him awarded copious awards and honorary doctorates commissioner his work.

Just a few weeks shy of his 96th solemnization, Henri Cartier-Bresson passed away favor his home in Provence opus August 3, 2004.


  • Name: Henri Cartier-Bresson
  • Birth Year: 1908
  • Birth date: August 22, 1908
  • Birth City: Chanteloup
  • Birth Country: France
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer whose humane, spontaneous photographs helped inaugurate photojournalism as an art form.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Leo
  • Schools
  • Nacionalities
  • Occupations
  • Death Year: 2004
  • Death date: August 3, 2004
  • Death City: Céreste
  • Death Country: France

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  • Article Title: Henri Cartier-Bresson Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/artist/henri-cartier-bresson
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  • Publisher: A&E; Fleet street Networks
  • Last Updated: April 13, 2019
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

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