About
Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004) was a French photographer, widely regarded as the father of modern photojournalism. After studying painting and literature, he adopted the 35mm Leica in 1931. Co-founder of the Magnum Photos agency in 1947, he documented major 20th-century events, from the Spanish Civil War to the Chinese Revolution. His book 'The Decisive Moment' (1952) popularized his theory of the decisive moment. After 1974, he largely abandoned photography to return to drawing and painting.
* 1908-08-22 — † 2004-08-03
Major works
- Images à la sauvette (1952)photography book
- The Decisive Moment (1952)English edition of the same book
Key milestones
- 1947Co-founded Magnum Photos with Robert Capa, David Seymour, George Rodger, and William Vandivert.
- 1952Published 'The Decisive Moment', defining his philosophy of the decisive moment.
- 2003Founded the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson in Paris with his wife Martine Franck.
Themes
the decisive momentstreet photographyphotojournalismgeometric compositionsurrealism
Sources: henricartierbresson.org · magnumphotos.com · metmuseum.org