The late photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson spent his long and varied career traveling the world and capturing images of everyone from children to cultural icons.
Beautiful but unsentimental street photography of children was one of the surprises offered by the sweeping survey “The World of Henri Cartier-Bresson,” at Peter Fetterman Gallery, in Santa Monica, California, in 2021. Some of the images are iconic, like Cartier-Bresson’s historic 1950s photographs for Life magazine of a newly Communist China and his portraits of cultural lions like Henri Matisse, Alberto Giacometti and Samuel Beckett. But nearly half the images, Fetterman said, were printed specifically at the gallery’s request and had not been widely exhibited or published.
One of the most striking discoveries was a 1954 image of five Russian girls standing in second position at a wrought-iron-and-wood ballet barre. The coolly elegant blond girl closest to the camera looks no more than 10 or 12 years old, but her calf muscles are as defined as those of an adult track star. “Rue Mouffetard, Paris,” from 1954, captures a boy grinning from ear to ear as he walks along a city street toward the lens — and presumably toward home — carrying with chin jutted out and visible pride a wine bottle under each arm. This picture, in which all elements conspire to highlight the boy’s swagger (notice the girls noticing the boy), is an illustration of capturing “the decisive moment,” which Cartier-Bresson famously defined and which modernists took as the ultimate goal of photography, although others later were more skeptical.
Born in 1908 in Chanteloup-en-Brie, France, the oldest of five children, Cartier-Bresson studied art and literature in school, refusing to join his father’s prosperous textile business. In 1931, he traveled to Africa to hunt wild game and found that he preferred a different kind of shoot: taking pictures with a small box camera.
On his return to France, Cartier-Bresson bought a Leica with a 50mm lens — the camera he called the “extension of my eye” and used for decades. He soon began working as a photojournalist, traveling the globe to capture everyday moments as well as some of the defining political events of the 20th century, from Gandhi’s funeral in 1948 and the fall of the Kuomintang in China in 1949 to the student uprising in Paris in 1968.
Cartier-Bresson was himself caught up in conflict. A French army officer during World War II, he was detained as a prisoner of war by the Nazis, prompting rumors he’d been killed. His photography was taken seriously enough at this time that the Museum of Modern Art in New York began preparing what it believed would be a posthumous retrospective of his work. The show took place in 1947, when the photographer was abundantly alive and well, and busy cofounding the great photo agency Magnum. MoMA has been a guardian and champion of his work ever since.
Find original Henri Cartier-Bresson black-and-white photography on 1stDibs.
Jacques Tati and Alain Becourt - Photograph by Henri Cartier-Bresson - 1958
By Henri Cartier-Bresson
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage b/w photograph realized by Henri Cartier-Bresson in 1958. Copyright: Magnum Photos and Agenzia Contrasto. Excellent condition.
Photographic Paper
Henri Cartier-Bresson, Rome, Italy, Black and White Print, Signed, c. 1990
By Henri Cartier-Bresson
Located in London, GB
Signed Silver gelatin print, printed circa 1990 Image 17 1/2 x 11 1/2 inches Paper 20 x 15 3/4 inches Henri Cartier-Bresson is perhaps the most significant photographer of the twent...
Silver Gelatin
$3,743
Les Européens Photographies - Photographs by Henri Cartier-Bresson - 1955
By Henri Cartier-Bresson
Located in Roma, IT
Volume including a selection of 114 black and white photographs by Henri Cartier-Bresson from 1950 to 1955. Original boards illustrated after a design by Joan Mirò. First Edition. Ve...
Paper
Aquila Degli Abruzzi, Italy
By Henri Cartier-Bresson
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Signed in ink on recto Gelatin silver print Image: 14 x 9 1/2 inches, Paper: 15 7/8 x 12 inches, Mat: 20 x 16
Silver Gelatin
Meudon
By Henri Cartier-Bresson
Located in Roma, RM
Henri Cartier Bresson (Chanteloup-en-Brie 1908 - Céreste 2004), Meudon (1964) later printed Silver gelatin print, image 24 x 36 cm, sheet 30 x 40 cm, dedication and signature at lo...
Photographic Film, Silver Gelatin
$6,864Sale Price|20% Off
Henri Cartier-Bresson -- Barrio Chino, Barcelona
By Henri Cartier-Bresson
Located in BRUCE, ACT
Henri Cartier-Bresson Barrio Chino, Barcelona, 1933 This example was printed later Signed in ink lower right Edition 65/75 in lower left Image: 35.7 x 23.6 cm Sheet: 56 x 37.8 cm ...
Photogravure
Henri Matisse at His Home, 'le Reve', Vence, France
By Henri Cartier-Bresson
Located in London, GB
Stamped with photographer's copyright ink stamp on reverse
Silver Gelatin
Price Upon Request
Siphnos, Greece
By Henri Cartier-Bresson
Located in Santa Monica, CA
signed by artist in ink with artist's embossed stamp on recto
Silver Gelatin
Peek-A-Boo Beatles (1965) - Silver Gelatin Print
Located in London, GB
Peek-A-Boo Beatles (1937) - Silver Gelatin Print (Photo by R. McPhedran/Express/Getty Images) 14th June 1965: The British rock group The Beatles stand in a window at Twickenham Fil...
Black and White, Silver Gelatin
$4,445
H 18.12 in W 14.97 in
Prévert de Profil Silver Gelatin Print, Surrealist, Framed, Circa 1955
Located in CANNES, FR
JACQUES PRÉVERT ( 1900- 1977 ) " Prévert de profil " French Poet original vintage argentic photography . circa 1955 . Signed and dated . " with li...
Silver Gelatin
'Quiet Moment' (Limited Edition)
By Edward Feingersh
Located in London, GB
'Quiet Moment' by Ed Feingersh Actress Marilyn Monroe relaxes on a couch in her hotel room at the Ambassador Hotel on March 24, 1955 in New York City, New York. A beautiful and mor...
Silver Gelatin
Self Portrait, Black and White Nude Male Photography
Located in New York, NY
A black and white nude portrait by Victor Carnuccio. Self Portrait 2000 Signed, titled, dated, and numbered, verso Gelatin silver print (Edition of 25) 14 x 11 inches, sheet 13 x...
Silver Gelatin
$1,169Sale Price|58% Off
H 9 in W 6 in D 1 in
Horse, Ink on Paper by Indian Modern Artist Sunil Das "In Stock"
By Sunil Das
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Sunil Das - Horse - 9 x 6 inches ( unframed size ) Ink on Paper, 2012 Inclusive of shipment in ready to hang condition. Sunil Das ( 1939-2015) was a Master Modern Indian Artist fr...
Paper, Ink
$1,730
H 39.5 in W 27.5 in D 1 in
Untitled, Serigraph on Paper, Modern Artist M.F Husain "In Stock"
By M.F. Husain
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
M.F. Husain - Untitled Edition - 92/150 39.5 x 27.5 inches (unframed size) Serigraph on Paper, 1998 (Unframed & Delivered) MF Husain , world acclaimed artist has been famous for var...
Paper, Digital
$2,250
H 39 in W 39 in D 0.1 in
"Circus 1" Black & White Photography 39" x 39" inch Ed. of 3 by Olha Stepanian
By Olha Stepanian
Located in Culver City, CA
"Circus 1" Black & White Photography 39" x 39" inch Ed. of 3 by Olha Stepanian Printed on Epson Professional Paper Signed and numbered by the artist Comes with COA issued by th...
Photographic Paper
$1,282
H 15.95 in W 12.01 in
Lady Macbeth as Regal monarch immobilised in Marble, in Blooms, Hand-coloured
Located in London, GB
Katie Eleanor, ‘Your Hand, Your Tongue III’, 2017 Hand-coloured portrait of a regal monarch, immobilised in marble, her reigning celebrated the blooms she becomes entwined in. The characterisation is inspired by visual depictions of Lady Macbeth, in particular, John Singer Sargent’s 1889 portrait of actress Ellen Terry. Taken from The Sialia Marbles, a series of portraits containing ephemeral human sculptures taken between 2016-19. Together these works act as tales contained in a fictional sculpture hall, in direct reaction to Andre Malraux’s 1947 Le Musee Imaginaire (Museum Without Walls). Original title: 'Your Hand, Your Tongue’, 2017 Hand-coloured Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemuhle Photorag 40.5 x 30.5 cm Unique Series: The Sialia Marbles Signed and dated on verso "I’m not a sculptor, but I wanted to construct my own stories. Photographers have often used sculpture in order to challenge our idea of a “sculptural” body or object, by casting them in a two-dimensional light. I love playing with perception. A lot of my work is influenced by the nineteenth century—the pictorialist movement for instance. When photography was a new experiment, people would play around with perception tricks—Victorian paper theaters...
Photographic Film, Watercolor, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment
$2,600
H 11 in W 10.5 in
Untitled, Etching on Paper by Modern Indian Artist Ganesh Pyne "In Stock"
By Ganesh Pyne
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Ganesh Pyne - Untitled AP - 6/32 Etching on Paper 11 x 10.5 inches, 1985 ( Unframed & Delivered ) Style : Initially, Pyne painted watercolors and sketches of misty mornings and ways...
Paper, Etching
$945
H 33.47 in W 39.38 in D 1.97 in
Pool Slide, Las Vegas, Nevada - American pop art color photography
By Richard Heeps
Located in Cambridge, GB
Pool Slide, from Richard Heeps Dream in Color series. This fun original artwork really shows Richard's unique eye as a photographer, creating this kitsch pop-art picture from an Amer...
Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin
Storefront
By Brett Weston
Located in Pacific Grove, CA
This vintage silver gelatin print is signed and dated in pencil mount recto, and again mount verso. Printed in 1961 for inclusion in "Fifteen Photographs" (edition of 50). Mounted to...
Silver Gelatin
(after) Amedeo Modigliani "Jeune fille en bleu"
By Amedeo Modigliani
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: collotype (after the painting). Printed in 1926 at the Leon Marotte atelier and published in an edition of 1000 by Editions des Quatre Chemins. Image size: 8 x 5 inches (202 ...
Photogravure
Swimmers
By Henri Cartier-Bresson
Located in New York, NY
This photogravure was taken by the famous Henri Cartier-Bresson. He is long considered one of the greatest photographers of people and done in such a way that his images speak over ...
Photogravure
Roman Amphitheater, Valencia, Spain
By Henri Cartier-Bresson
Located in New York, NY
Signed in ink in the margin, includes black frame with white mat. Henri Cartier-Bresson intuitively chronicled decisive moments of human life around the world with poetic documentar...
Silver Gelatin
HENRI MATISSE, VENCE, FRANCE
By Henri Cartier-Bresson
Located in Aventura, FL
Gelatin silver print. Printed circa 1970s. Signed in ink and copyright credit blindstamp in the margin. Sheet size 11.75 x 17.625 inches. Image size approx 9.5 x 14 inches. Frame siz...
Paper, Silver Gelatin
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H 14 in W 9.5 in
Bougival, Yvelines, France, 1956 - Henri Cartier-Bresson (Black and White)
By Henri Cartier-Bresson
Located in London, GB
Bougival, Yvelines, France, 1956 - Henri Cartier-Bresson (Black and White) Signed and stamped with the photographer's blind stamp Silver gelatin print, printed 1980s 11 x 14 inches ...
Silver Gelatin
Sold
H 14 in W 9.5 in
Tarascon, France, 1959 - Henri Cartier-Bresson (Black and White Photography)
By Henri Cartier-Bresson
Located in London, GB
Tarascon, France, 1959 - Henri Cartier-Bresson (Black and White Photography) Signed and stamped with photographers blindstamp Silver gelatin print 16 x 20 inches Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004), arguably the most significant photographer of the twentieth-century, was one of the co-founders of Magnum Photos in 1947 and champion of the “decisive moment...
Silver Gelatin
Queen Charlotte's Ball
By Henri Cartier-Bresson
Located in Santa Monica, CA
What makes Henri Cartier-Bresson’s vast body of work so universally impressive is that he was seemingly present at every significant event and in the intimate company of every import...
Silver Gelatin
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H 11 in W 14 in
Ivry-Sur-Seine, 1955 - Henri Cartier-Bresson (Black and White Photography)
By Henri Cartier-Bresson
Located in London, GB
Ivry-Sur-Seine, 1955 - Henri Cartier-Bresson (Black and White Photography) Signed and stamped with photographer's blind stamp Silver gelatin print, printed 1980s 11 x 14 inches Henr...
Silver Gelatin
HENRI MATISSE, VENCE, FRANCE
By Henri Cartier-Bresson
Located in Aventura, FL
Gelatin silver print. Printed circa 1970s. Signed in ink and copyright credit blindstamp in the margin. Sheet size 11.75 x 17.625 inches. Image size approx 9.5 x 14 inches. Frame siz...
Paper, Silver Gelatin
Sold
H 13.5 in W 9 in
Cape Cod Woman on the Fourth of July, Documentary Portrait Photography
By Henri Cartier-Bresson
Located in New york, NY
As to 4th of July, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA, 1947, Henri Cartier-Bresson said about his portrait: "This woman explained to me that the flagpole over her door was broken but on a ...
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin
Rangoon, Burma, vintage gelatin silver print, stamped
By Henri Cartier-Bresson
Located in New york, NY
Rangoon, Burma, 1948 by legendary French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson is a vintage gelatin silver print, stamped verso. Burmese girl...
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin
Sold
H 12 in W 8 in
Hamburg, Germany, vintage gelatin silver print, stamped
By Henri Cartier-Bresson
Located in New york, NY
Hamburg, Germany, 1962-1953 by legendary French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson is a vintage gelatin silver print, stamped verso. Photo...
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin
France, vintage gelatin silver print, stamped
By Henri Cartier-Bresson
Located in New york, NY
France, 1960 by legendary French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson is a vintage gelatin silver print, stamped verso. Henri Cartier-Bresson. born on August 22, 1908 in Chanteloup, France, is a pioneer in photojournalism. A French humanist photographer considered master of candid photography...
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin