Photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson: biography, life, creativity and interesting facts

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The pioneer of photojournalism was the French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson. His black and white masterpieces are considered true works of art, he was the founder of the "street" style of photography. This remarkable master of his craft was awarded many grants and prizes. Cartier-Bresson, whose biography is simply breathtaking, was able to capture such celebrities in his photographs: Jean Genet, Coco Chanel, Marilyn Monroe, Igor Stravinsky, Pablo Picasso and others.

Cartier-Bresson was born in France on August 22, 1908 in the little-known town of Chantle, not far from Paris, where the Marne and Seine rivers merge. They named him after his paternal grandfather. His father's family had their own cotton thread business. Cartier-Bresson's great-grandfather and uncle were talented artists.

The start of the journey

When Henri was still very young, he was given a good camera for that time (Brownie-box). With it, the future genius captured his friends, could capture all the memorable moments of youth. Also on the worldview of Cartier-Bresson was influenced by Uncle Louis (a talented artist). Henri often spent free minutes in his workshop. As a teenager, he became interested in surrealism.

Teaching Fine Arts

After graduating from the Lyceum, in 1925, Bresson seriously decides to engage in fine arts and goes to study with the cubist artist Andre Lot. It was these lessons that played a big role in the development of Henri as a photographer. Lot was a very strict teacher and did not allow for creative freedom, so Cartier-Bresson decided to enlist in the military.

Traveling for romantic shots

Influenced by the literature of the time, in 1930 Henri boards a ship and sets off for Africa. But the journey ended in failure - the young Bresson fell ill with a fever and even composed a suicide note. But his relatives persuaded him to return to France, where he was able to undergo rehabilitation and recover. At this time, Henri settled in Marseille. Very often he wandered the streets of this city with a camera in his hands and looked for worthy scenes for his outstanding pictures. When Bresson finally recovered, he was able to visit many European countries, and also made a visit to Mexico. His favorite camera was his best companion.

Activity of the photo master in the USA

In 1934, Cartier-Bresson met a Polish photographer, an intellectual under the pseudonym David Seymour, and a Hungarian photographer Robert Kappa. These masters had much in common regarding the art of photography. In 1935, Bresson was offeredcome to the United States, where the first exhibitions of his work were organized (in New York). After that, the master was offered to photograph models for fashion magazines, but Bresson did not really like it.

Cooperation with film industry

In 1936, the photographer Cartier-Bresson returns to France and begins to collaborate with the famous French director Jean Renoir. In one of Renoir's films, Bresson tried himself as an actor. He also helped the director shoot other tapes that were relevant for those times.

First steps in photojournalism

Cartier-Bresson's first work as a photojournalist was published in 1937, when he captured on camera for a French weekly the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. The photographer skillfully managed to capture the subjects who were preparing the city for the celebration. After that, the name Cartier-Bresson sounded in full force.

Marriage

In 1937, Bresson married the dancer Ratna Mohini. They settled in Paris, had a large studio, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. Henri began working as a photographer for a French communist newspaper along with his reporter friends. He did not join the French Communist Party.

Difficult war years

In September 1939, when World War II began, Cartier-Bresson went to the front, became a corporal in the French army (as a documentary photographer). During one of the battles for France, the photographer was taken prisoner, where he spent almost 3 years on forcedworks. Twice he tried to escape from the camp, for which he was punished by being in solitary confinement. The third escape was successful, he managed to hide under forged documents. He began to work in the subway and secretly collaborate with other photographers.

When France was liberated from the Nazis, Bresson was able to capture all this in his photographs. At the same time, he helped to create a documentary film about the liberation of the country and the return of French soldiers home. This film was filmed in the United States. After that, the Americans organized a vernissage of his photo at the Museum of Modern Art. In 1947, the first book of works by Henri Cartier-Bresson was published.

Interesting bureau for photojournalists

In 1947, Cartier-Bresson, together with his friends Robert Kappa, David Seymour, George Roger, organized the first photojournalism agency called Magnum Photo. Team members were assigned to the state. The young photojournalist was able to visit many parts of Indonesia, China, and India. The photographer received international recognition after covering the funeral of Gandhi in India (1948). He was also able to capture on camera the last stage of the Chinese civil war in 1949 and the arrival of the communist stand in Beijing. In 1950, Henri traveled to South India, where he photographed the surroundings of the settlements and interesting moments from the life of the country.

Publication of the book "The Decisive Moment"

In 1952, the first book of the great master in English was published. It hosted 126masterpieces made in different parts of the world. Cartier in this book was able to show his view on the art of photography. The most important task of the photographer, in his opinion, is to capture an important fraction of a second for the frame.

In 1955, the first exhibition of his work was held in France. It was organized in the Louvre itself. Before that, there had never been a photo exhibition. The world of Cartier-Bresson is very diverse. In 1966, the photographer focused on portraiture and landscape photography.

The Soviet Union through the eyes of the master of photography

The great Cartier-Bresson was able to visit the USSR twice. He first came here when Stalin died (1954). Already in 1955, the first album "Moscow" was published, which was published in the magazine Live. This is the first publication in the West about the life of Soviet citizens in the post-war period. For the first time in many years, the Soviet people had the opportunity to emerge from behind the veil of secrecy. Bresson traveled in Russia, Uzbekistan, Georgia.

The photographer always spoke about the Soviet Union with caution, as if he was afraid that someone would overhear him. Henri came here for the second time in the 70s. People have always been in the foreground of Cartier-Bresson's photographs: children with their parents, dancing youth, workers at a construction site. Among his masterpieces are photographs of peaceful demonstrations, queues at the counters of department stores and at the Lenin Mausoleum. The photographer masterfully captures the connection between a person and reality.

Painting

In 1967, Bresson divorced his first wife and took up fine artart. It seemed to him that he took everything he could from photography. I hid my camera in a safe and only occasionally took it with me for a walk.

Henri soon remarried, and in this marriage he had a daughter, Melanie (1972).

The master himself never liked to be photographed, even when presenting an honorary degree from Oxford University. He avoided the moments when he was filmed, sometimes even covering his face. Cartier-Bresson has never publicized his personal life.

The founder of photojournalism died in 2004, at the age of 96. Shortly before his death, he managed to open his heritage fund so that more and more generations of photographers could learn from his work.

Cartier-Bresson technique

Almost always the master worked with a Leica camera equipped with a 50 mm lens. He often wrapped the chrome body of the device with black tape to make it less noticeable. Bresson never cropped his photos, did not make any photomontages, did not use flash. The master worked exclusively in black and white, never came close to the object. The most important thing was to catch the decisive moment. He believed that even the smallest thing can be a great subject for a picture, and the most ordinary person can be the leitmotif for a chic photograph. His style is honest street photography. The master of photography was able to capture many celebrities on film: Henri Matisse, Jean Renoir, Albert Camus and others.

Books by famous master

Those who at least once looked at the photo of this world-famous photographer could make sure that it is very interestingpersonality was Henri Cartier-Bresson. The books of this master have spread all over the world. The first of these, The Decisive Moment, was released in 1952. In addition to her, such books were published: “Muscovites”, “Europeans”, “The World of Henri Cartier-Bresson”, “About Russia”, “The Face of Asia”, “Dialogues”. The book "Imaginary Reality" contains many memoirs, diary entries, essays by a famous photojournalist. Cartier-Bresson's books are very valuable; many modern talents learn photography skills from his advice.

Advice from the master to beginner photographers:

• It is necessary to accurately build the frame, think over its borders and center, use versatility.
• The photographer should not draw attention to himself, his task is to remain invisible.
• A photographer needs to travel a lot, study the psychology and characteristics of people.
• It's better to get one good camera instead of several bad ones.
• It's good to learn how to photograph children and teenagers first, they are spontaneous.
• A true photographer must have artistic taste.
• Don't take a lot of shots, you need to very clearly wait for the right moment to shoot.
• Don't stop there, always strive for new heights.