Analogue Photography

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer whose famous and influential work spanned over decades. Born in 1908 in Chanteloup, France, he grew to love the arts from an early age. in 1927, he studied painting under Andre Lhote, then further studied at Cambridge University. In 1931, after a stint in the Army, he went to Africa and his love for photography grew. When he moved to France after a year, he bought his first 35mm Leica.

By the mid-1930s Cartier-Bresson had gained commercial success, with exhibits located in Mexico, New York, and Madrid. In 1935 he befriended photographer Paul Strand who introduced him to the film he would experiment with. Inspired, Cartier-Bresson moved back to France where he worked assisting filmmaker Jean Revoir for the next three years.

In 1940, Cartier-Bresson joined the army after the German invasion of France but was captured, and was in a prisoner-of-war camp for three years. He then managed to escape after several failed attempts, immediately returning to his photography and film. After the war, he traveled to India, where he spent time with Mahatma Ghandi before his assasination in 1948. His work documenting Ghandi’s death became one of Life Magazine’s most acclaimed photo essay.

In 1947 he teamed with 5 others and co-founded Magnum Photos, after aiming to solidify photojournalism as a legitimate news and art form. In his life up to that point, Cartier-Bresson had photographed the Spanish Civil War, Chinese Revolution, George VI’s coronation, and had many subjects including Marilyn Monroe. On top of this, his magazine clients included Life, Harper’s Bazaar, and Vogue. In 1952 he published his first book, The Decisive Moment,  which contained his work from the past two decades.

In 1966, he quit Magnum photos, focusing instead on his drawing and painting. He did not partake in interviews and refused to discuss his photography career. In 2003 the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson was created in Paris, securing his legacy. He also was awarded numerous awards and honorary doctorates later in his life. He passed away in his home in Provence, in 2004, at 95 years old.

Behind Le Gare de Saint Lazare (the Gare Saint-Lazare) – Henri Cartier-Bresson, 1932

Behind Le Gare de Saint Lazare, by Henri Cartier-Bresson, 1932, MoMA, viewed March 29 2020, <https://www.moma.org/collection/works/98333>

How was the photo authored?

The image was taken behind the Saint-Lazare train station in Paris, France. It was shot without flash, on Cartier-Bresson’s 35mm Leica camera, which was both small enough and quick enough to take an immediate photograph. It was a dreary day, cold, and wet, with puddles of water encapsulating the ground of the image, and still. Demonstrating Cartier-Bresson’s ‘Decisive Moment’, it shows a man running over the water puddles, which reflects his entire sillhouette exactly in the mirror-like water. Elements indicative of the time include the Railowsky’s Circus poster, also with a performer on the front. The man, as the subject, mirrors the performer, bringing the circus to the real life in this one moment.

How was the photo published?

It was printed by process of gelatin silver print, in the 1950’s. Because of the film camera, there is no ability to review the image, which furthers his concept of the decisive moment of the photograph. It also means there is no instant result to show for his work, with time taken to produce it.

How was the photo distributed?

Although there is no information on where the image was immediately displayed, based on Cartier-Bresson’s commercial success in the early 1930’s it is assumed it was exhibited at some point. Currently, the image is on display in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, and is shared throughout the internet, regarded as one of his best works.

References:

Biography.com Editors 2019, Henri Cartier-Bresson Biography, Biography.com, viewed 29 March 2020 <https://www.biography.com/artist/henri-cartier-bresson>

MoMA 2020, Henri Cartier-Bresson Behind the Gare St. Lazare 1932, viewed 29 March 2020 <https://www.moma.org/collection/works/98333>

Time Editors n.d., Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare, Time 100 Photos, viewed 29 March 2020 <http://100photos.time.com/photos/henri-cartier-bresson-behind-gare-saint-lazare>